Inmate 518
by TwistedTrident
Summary: I'm not confined within these stone walls because of theft or other criminal charges. I'm here because I'm different, because I have godly blood running through my veins, because I'm a demigod… My very existence is a crime and many others before me were forced to suffer the same fate. But one way or another, I WILL bring change. My name is Percy Jackson, Inmate 518.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: I'm not confined within these stone walls because of theft or other criminal charges. I'm here because I'm different, because I have godly blood running through my veins, because I'm a demigod… My very existence is a crime and many others before me were forced to suffer the same fate. But one way or another, I WILL bring change. My name is Percy Jackson, Inmate 518.**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

I sat on this poor excuse for a bed, back leaning against the wall, staring aimlessly at the gray, concrete ceiling above me. I'd given up demanding my release from this small, confined cell. I'd given up my threats constantly thrown at the guards as I watch them walk down the halls. I'd given up hope.

About 4 months ago, I'd been dragged away from my mother, kicking and screaming and crying as my only friend betrayed my trust and broke my heart. She was the only person I'd ever told about what I truly was and she accepted it without a second thought because she too was a halfblood. I'm not sure when, but something changed within her. She became someone she's not. She became cold, evil, heartless…. Her kind heart had hardened into thick stone encased in a hard block of ice.

As always, I tried to force the painful memory away, but this time, I was unable to. I sighed and closed my eyes tightly as the memory played in my mind.

_Laughter sounded throughout the apartment as my mother and I joked around. We'd both had a busy day, me at school and mom at work, the small candy shop on the corner. The both of us had planned to sit down, have a nice dinner, and have a mother-son movie night to attempt to turn around our poor afternoons. _

_I'd been just about to tell her how I wanted to spend the summer once school got out when the doorbell rang. My mother and I both looked at each, surprise on both our faces considering neither of us were expecting guests. _

_Rising from my chair, I approached the door, grabbed the knob, and swung it open, revealing a head of curly, blond hair. I looked at the person's face and was met with a pair of the most dazzling gray eyes I'd ever seen. I'd know those eyes anywhere; they belonged to my one and only friend, and girlfriend, Annabeth Chase. _

_I smiled at her, my face immediately lighting up at the sight of her. But as I stared at her, I noticed she didn't return my smile, she didn't leap into my arms in a tight hug, her face didn't give any sign of emotion. She was totally poker faced. _

_Before I could ask her what the matter was, another person emerged and stood beside Annabeth. _

_He was a tall, lanky boy with sandy blond hair, blue eyes, and a scar running down the side of his face. Luke Castellan. Him and Annabeth used to be friends before he'd given up life in hiding-because demigods were constantly being tracked down- and switched sides to live a life imprisoning innocent demigods._

_Shock ran through my system and I was unable to forge a good enough reason as to why he was here. At my house. With Annabeth. _

_I opened my mouth to ask what this was about, but Luke beat me to it. He pulled out a long, worn scroll and read aloud:_

"_Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, you are hereby condemned to life in prison for your crimes against the Titan lord, Kronos. In choosing to give your loyalties to the Olympians and refusal to turn yourself over to the superior side, you shall forever live your days in darkness. Never to leave the confines of Lotus Prison. You will have no contact with the outside world and will be unable to bring any personal items. We, the loyal followers of Kronos, fully expect your compliance. Failure to obey our rules will lead to your immediate and inevitable demise."_

_At that moment, I felt a different mixture of emotions come over me. Confusion. Fear. Sadness. Heartbreak._

"_I have no idea what you're talking about. Olympians? Titans? Lotus Prison?" I decided playing dumb was my best shot at getting out of this mess._

"_What's going on here?" my mother exclaimed as she approached the door, worry etched into her features._

"_Ma'am, I'm Luke Castellan and this is my colleague, Annabeth Chase. We're here to collect your son and bring him to a location that would better suit this….demigod." _

" _You're not taking Percy anywhere. Yes, he's a demigod, but that doesn't mean he's any different than any other person. Thank you for stopping by, Mr. Castellan. But we have nothing more to discuss." My mother shouted, her maternal protectiveness kicking in. She grabbed for the door, attempting slam it in both their faces, but Annabeth shoved both her hands into the shiny wood, sending the door flying open. The doorknob embedded itself within the wall._

"_Luke isn't finished, Ms. Jackson. Would you be so kind as to let him speak? If your smart, you'll let him continue." Annabeth said with her teeth gritted, clipping each word. _

_What happened to her? Annabeth would never speak to anyone like that, let alone my mother who had treated Annabeth like her own daughter._

_Anger coursed through me. I'd always, always been there for Annabeth. When she was upset, angry, feeling misunderstood, I was there for it all. And this is how she repays me. Turning me in to Luke, coming to my house and treating my mother and I like we meant nothing to her._

"_Don't talk to her like that! Who the hell do you think you are? No, wait here's a better question. Who the hell are you? 'Cause you're surely not Annabeth Chase."_

"_The Annabeth you knew, Percy, has long been dead. I've created a new, more powerful image of myself with Luke's help, of course. But now I finally have enough power to get rid of those sick abominations those pesky Olympians have plagued the earth with."_

"_Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you a 'sick abomination' also?"_

_Her calm mask melted off her face and contorted into a look of fury. _

"_Ethan. Escort Percy out." A figure whipped around the corner of the small hallway outside our apartment. He had dark, black hair and an eye patch over his left eye._

_Before I even had time to react, the boy surged forward, thrusting the hilt of his dagger into my forehead._

_Black spots dotted my vision. Everything became blurred as if my 20/20 vision decided to take a hike and leave me hanging._

_Strong hands locked onto my forearms, yanking them behind my back as they dragged me out of the apartment and out into the dark, deserted street. _

_Tears pooled in my eyes and trailed down my cheeks as I was hauled away from the building, leaving behind the only home I'd ever known and a mother who took care of me despite the risks of having a half-human, half-godly son._

_The last sound I heard was my mother's hysterical sobs echoing in the night as they thrust me into the sleek, black truck and drove off. _

I'd tried countless times to forget the memory, bury it to the far corners of my mind so far from everything else it can never resurface. But sadly it always comes back to haunt me, replaying like a broken record.

Anyway, enough of my sob story and onto more important matters. Our existence has been exposed to the mortals- basically your everyday human being with absolutely all human blood and have nothing godly or otherworldly about them. Now I'm sure your all probably wondering: _Hey Percy, how'd the mortals even find out about demigods in the first place?_ Honestly, I don't have the slightest idea. For months, I'd contemplated the possibilities, but never have I gotten any closer to a logical answer. One day, I hope to find out and fix this fiasco.

All that anyone knows about the situation is that the mist just disappeared, vanished. One day it was there, clouding the vision of mortals to prevent them from seeing the truth, and the next, _POOF! _The mist was gone and as you can imagine, the outcome was chaotic. Fear crept into the mortal's hearts as the monsters we'd tried so hard to conceal were revealed to the public. They gathered an army of mortals, intent on locking us away from humanity in hope of the monster population to simply leave after they realized the demigods were gone. So they built an impenetrable prison and began rounding us up. Kronos took this opportunity to his advantage and compromised with the mortals, telling them how he too wanted us gone and would love to aid them, to which they'd agreed. The mortals don't know it like us, demigods, do, but Kronos has an ulterior motive to joining their side. When demigods are out of the picture, he will take power and rule the mortal world after he destroys the gods.

As for Annabeth, I'm not really sure how she avoided capture. All I know is Luke managed to fool the mortals so I assume he'd done the same for Annabeth.

Jangling keys snapped me out of my trip down memory lane. Opening my eyes, I came face-to-face with a guard. He wore the standard uniform. Black pants. Shiny, black shoes. Dull gray T-shirt neatly tucked into his pants.

"Time for dinner." The gruff voiced guard announced.

Here at the prison, we're fed twice a day and breakfast and dinner are the only times we're let out of our cells except for the special occasions when the army goes through orientation for its new recruits. Other than those times, we basically just sit around thinking or staring at walls or whatever you can to keep yourself from going bonkers.

I rose from my bed, held out my hands so the guard can lock the heavy, celestial bronze shackles to my wrists, and exited the cell with the guard in tow.

We walked down the shiny, marble floors, passing row after row of inmates locked behind the steel bars, faces full of defeat and loss.

Thousands of guards surround the perimeter of the prison, motion sensors line the halls, surveillance cameras in every corner. Highly trained marksman patrol the jail around the clock, 24/7, and aren't afraid to put a bullet in any of our heads. Escape is no easy task and hundreds had failed. Out of the 3 years the prison's been open, not a single halfblood had ever made it out alive. As you can imagine, it really puts a damper on things.

Several minutes later, my escort and I reached the cafeteria, containing hundreds of halfbloods from all around the world. I hated coming here and it's not only because I feel suffocated with all these people clustered together, eyeing me from across the room, but because it's super….umm….gross. Imagine your school cafeteria. It's like that, just not as clean…or nice…or even semi-suitable for consuming food here. There are filthy, plastic chairs lined with dirt and grime along with thin cracks cut jaggedly through them. Personally, I think it's a miracle that someone hasn't gone to sit down and had it collapse beneath them. We eat at old, wooden tables, the rotting wood slowly chipping away, leaving the majority of the tables lopsided. Hideous holes and dents litter the white, plaster walls, giving the appearance the room's going to come crumbling down at any given moment. And to top it all off, there's garbage everywhere. Picture this, a giant trash eating monster with the stomach flu came and puked….well….everywhere. Bam!, you've got the cafeteria. Nice place, right? Didn't think so.

Upon walking in, I was handed a tray with the slop the people here dare to call food before sitting down next to my only friend here, Nico Di'Angelo.

Nico's tousled black hair may give him an easy-going vibe, but his dark and brooding expressions contradict that assumption. I imagine he used to be a happy, go lucky kind of guy, but that was before _it _happened, nipping his carefree nature right in the bud.

Nico's had a tough life. At a young age, his mother died, his father, Hades, abandoned him, leaving him to fend for himself, and his sister, Bianca, was killed shortly after. He'd had no family left to turn to, no one to care for him and he quickly spiraled into despair. Vengeful thoughts filled his mind, erasing it of everything other than seeking revenge. He knew just how to get it and he would have succeeded if I hadn't been there.

_I'd been walking home from Annabeth's house, after we'd snuggled up on the couch, watching countless hours of meaningless cartoons with her younger brothers, Bobby and Matthew, when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye._

_Turning, I noticed a figure standing on the sidewalk underneath a street light, illuminating his face, just across the deserted street from where I stood. He had dark hair and pale skin similar to what you'd imagine a vampire's complexion would look like. He was scrawny and thin with all black clothing covering his skinny frame. A sword hung loosely from the sheath hanging limply at his hip so I knew he was a demigod. Although, I found it odd that he wasn't using celestial bronze. Instead, the sword was made out of a strange material. Iron, maybe?_

"_You Percy Jackson?" he asked, his voice deep and raspy even though he couldn't be older than fourteen._

"_Who wants to know?" _

"_Name's Nico, son of Hades," he replied, his lips twitching upward into a small smile._

"_And you're here why?"_

_He crossed the distance between us, his stride confident as he walked the last few steps to me. _

"_I've completed my training to join Kronos. Now all I have to do is prove myself worthy of fighting for his side so he gave me an assignment. And that assignment is to get rid of you." _

"_Wow, lucky me."_

"_Ready to get your ass kicked, Percy?" Nico hissed, flashing a confident smile._

"_I could ask you the same thing." Drawing my sword, Riptide, I took a defensive stance, never taking my eyes off the hilt of his sword as he unsheathed it._

_As soon as he pulled it out, he swung, his sword aimed at my chest. I met him halfway, sparks flying as our swords collided. I spun around, swinging Riptide in a wide arch, the blade catching him in the shoulder. _

_Surprise appeared on his face as he glanced down at the cut on his arm. It wasn't deep or anything. In fact, it was just a tiny scratch, but I assume he'd expected to get out of this fight unscathed. _

_Shaking it off, he thrust the blade forward, but I sidestepped. _

_We traded jabs and blows back and forth. Every swing was blocked or parried by the other._

_Frustration was written all over my opponent's face. Evidently, he didn't think I'd last this long. His swings became careless and his guard was let down, giving me the opportunity to get the upper hand._

_Swinging my sword , I caught the underside of his and twisted my wrist, sending it skittering down the street where it lay right next to the curb. _

_I pointed my sword at him, the tip hovering inches from his chest. Glancing down at my sword, his jaw went slack._

"_Well, I underestimated you, Percy. I've got to hand it to you; you sure know how to use that thing," He said, pointing at my sword. "Good fight."_

"_Ditto." I replied before confusion swept over me as I watched him step away from me, turn, and proceed down the street to way he had come. My initial thought was that it was a trick to get me to drop my guard, but he never turned back around, just kept walking away from me until turning down a side street and out of my view._

_I lowered my sword and continued my trek home. _

_Halfway there, Nico appeared out of thin air, inches in front of me, blocking my path-how he did that I have no idea- and stepped forward with a smile before sweeping my legs from beneath me. My head slammed the ground with a sickening crack. A piercing pain invaded my skull and distorted my surroundings into looking like they were taking a serious ride on one of those super fast spinning, carnival rides._

_In my peripheral vision, I see him take out his sword once again. Pointing the tip between my eyes, he spoke._

"_I've never, ever lost a battle. They recruited me because I'm unstoppable and I'm not going to let one of the Olympians little pets take that from me "_

"_Why do even want to join their army? You can live a better life without them."_

"_Why? Revenge, that's why. My sister was killed fighting for what she believed in. _

_She thought all demigods should be acknowledged by their parents. Half of their demigod offspring had never been claimed and that really took a toll them. They felt unwanted, unloved, and they were sick of it. My sister rallied the unclaimed demigods, marched up to Olympus, and demanded their parents attention. The gods refused, thought she had too much influence over the unclaimed demigods which could cause them problems later on, and they killed her. I've made it my mission to avenge her death, to make them pay for what they did, and no one's going to stop me. That's why I have to kill you, Percy Jackson. I have to prove myself so the army will accept me and I can finally bring the gods to their knees." Rivers of tears streamed down his cheeks. His calm, confident mask broke away piece by piece, revealing a sad, broken boy lost without the company of his deceased sibling._

_Despite the fact that he wanted to end my life, I felt awful for this boy. He didn't want this, didn't want to hurt anyone, but he did want to even the score. You could see it on his face, clear as day, that he wanted the gods to feel the pain he'd felt when his sister was cruelly ripped away from him._

"_Listen. That was wrong of the gods, I agree, but getting revenge won't make you feel any better. I'm very sorry about what happened to your sister, but think about it. Would she want you to put yourself in danger like this? I know she wouldn't. I can't bring her back, but I will help you complete what your sister started."_

"_You will?"_

"_Yeah. You're sister has a point. It's not right for the gods to just ignore their kids. I promise to help, but if you forget about Kronos and live your life the way you want."_

"_Deal." A real, genuine smile plastered on his face._

_He dropped the sword from my face and helped me to my feet._

_The sudden movement cause my head to spin. I clutched my throbbing head, trying desperately to stop the pounding in my skull. I felt like my strength had been sucked out of my body with a vacuum cleaner. My legs turned to Jell-O and I collapsed, the ground rattling my weak, tired body. Darkness leaped into my vision and I succumbed to sleep._

I remember waking hours later with Nico hovering over me, trickling nectar into my mouth. After that day, we'd become allies, never really friends until after I arrived here and we got to know each other instead of just basic facts like name and age and parentage.

Shaking myself back to reality, I said hello to Nico and we quickly jumped into a conversation when suddenly the cafeteria quieted down. _What's going on? Nobody's ever quiet in here. _Glancing around the room, I noticed all their heads were turned toward the doors. I shrugged at Nico before lifting my eyes to the entrance.

Standing in the threshold was Luke and two girls I'd never seen before, one with red hair and the other with spiked black hair, both in shackles like ours. Beside them, stood a tall, blond girl, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on me. Recognition crossed her face as she took me in while I did the same.

She looked no different from when I last saw her. Blond hair, gray eyes, tan skin, but her eyes now lacked their former luster. She appeared emotionless, but after being her friend for years, I could see right through her façade. She was sad, really sad especially when her eyes locked on mine.

The person standing there was, you guessed it, Annabeth.

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**Hope you liked the chapter! :)** **I'd really appreciate it if you could review and tell me what think. I would love some constructive criticism to help me improve my writing. **

**Thanks,**

**TwistedTrident**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

_The person standing there was, you guessed it, Annabeth. _

* * *

Luke and Annabeth began walking in our direction, pulling the girls along by the arm, before stopping at our table.

"Inmate 518, Perseus Jackson, and Inmate 423, Nico di Angelo, these," Luke said, gesturing to the redhead and black haired girl," are your responsibility. Teach them how things are run here. I would do it, but I have far more important matters to attend to. Come along, Annabeth."

And with that, Luke strutted out of the room with Annabeth following suit, but not without glancing back at me as she went.

Switching my attention to the girls, I spoke:

"So…uhm…. what are your names?"

"Thalia, daughter of Zeus," said the black haired girl in a bored tone like she could think of thousand different things she'd rather be doing. Honestly, I couldn't really blame her; I was the same way when I got here.

"Rachel Dare," The redhead said.

"Well, who's your parent?" With Thalia, it was kind of obvious who her parent was, especially with her electric blue eye color and the way she seemed to radiate power, but with Rachel, I couldn't quite pinpoint hers.

"Err…I don't have one." _What?_ Ok, now I was really confused. If she doesn't have a godly parent, then why is she here?

She took notice of my confused expression and began to elaborate:

" Well, I'm not a demi-whatever like you guys, but I can see things. Things that haven't even happened yet. I even saw you one time, but you weren't in here."

"What do you mean I wasn't in here?"

"It looked like you were in a cabin of some sort, reading a newspaper that was dated next month. Thalia, Nico, and I were standing behind you, reading over your shoulder. Oh and that blond chick that brought us in here was there, too."

Soaking all the information in, I realized that if Rachel was right, I'd be out of this dump next month, . No more cells, no more guards, no more shackles. I'd be out there, back in the real world, with Nico. And Annabeth. I smiled mentally at the thought.

Nico nudged me, a huge smile on his face, before he spoke:

"So, in order for that to happen, what do we have to do?" He asked, deciding to trust Rachel and what she saw.

"Well," Rachel began, "I don't know. I guess just wait for the opportunity."

"Ugh, can't we just leave now? There's no way I'm staying here for a whole month," Thalia grumbled, clearly annoyed that we were a). trapped and b). had absolutely no plan.

The conversation was dropped after that and silence replaced it.

Several seconds passed before I couldn't stand the quiet and broke it.

" Since you guys are going to be here a while, I thought I'd tell you the rules. So, here, we have to-"

"Spare me the details. I don't plan on listening to them anyway." Thalia said, interrupting me.

"Okaaay, then, new topic. How did you get here?"

"Red and I met at a park. I'd just killed a hydra, not knowing that Rachel was standing there the whole time. When I found out, I didn't think it was a big deal because this was when the mist was still, you know, working. But then she asked me what that was and why it was here and blah blah blah so then I knew she could see through the mist. She was terrified, wouldn't leave my side, so I took her under my wing and told her about us after I knew I could trust her. We became friends and one day, we were just talking, hanging out, and she fell over, her eyes were glowing, there was green smoke around her, and she was talking in a weird voice. It was kind of funny; she sounded like she aged seventy five years in ten seconds, but other than that, it was really freaky. After it was over, she told me she saw us getting dragged away from here and thrown in a truck; I didn't believe her. But a couple days later, her vision came true."

"You're like a fortune teller. You don't happen to have a crystal ball, do you?" I asked jokingly, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Yes, Percy, I do," Rachel said sarcastically, rolling her eyes at me. "And it's telling me that in your near future, I'm going to slap you if don't take this seriously."

"Get back on track here, people. If we're going to get out of here, we're going to need a plan. Why don't we meet here everyday at both lunch and dinner to discuss how this is all going to go down? Sound good?" Thalia said, cutting me off before I could reply to Rachel.

We all nodded our consent.

The guards came into the cafeteria and quickly ushered us out.

I arrived at my concrete cage moments later. The guards shoved me through the entryway, removed my shackles, and slammed the door shut, leaving me to my thoughts.

Lying down on the stained, misshapen mattress, I replayed my day in my head over and over, unable to believe that everything that happened was real. I had two new allies, Rachel and Thalia. One of them could look into the future; she saw all of us in a cabin, not in here. We were going to leave, escape, break free. We'd never have to be confined to this hellhole ever again. We could live our lives the way we'd wanted before our dreams were torn to shreds. All we needed now was a plan, a good, solid plan and we'll be free.

Freedom here I come.

* * *

It's been two weeks since Nico and I had first met Rachel and Thalia. Not much has happened since then. The only change is that we formed a plan, but it's not quite fool-proof yet. We still need to work out a few holes that could lead us to a failed escape, resulting in severe consequences that none of us would likely survive from. Other than that, our plan is really coming together rather nicely. But now our flow of ideas has reached a dead end and none of us can think of ways to patch up those holes.

"Why don't we just have Percy drown all the guards with his water-controlling thingy?" Nico suggested as we gathered at our usual table for breakfast.

"That wouldn't work. Last time I checked, there was hardly any water to control and there are way too many guards. I don't think I'd be strong enough to keep control long enough to get rid of all of them." I replied.

"Well, now what? We've thought of everything and not one of those things can work out in our favor."

"There has to be something were overlooking, Nico, something that were missing. Something important that could piece this whole thing together."

We sat in silence, wracking our brains for one idea that could make this work, until Thalia's eyes widen and she said:

"I've got it! But for this to go how we plan, we're going to need inside help."

"Are you kidding me? Who's going to be willing to betray Kronos to help us?" Rachel exclaimed, clearly exasperated that Thalia would even suggest such a silly idea.

"Percy, you were close with that blond chick, right? Ask her. She could help."

"Why would she help us? She doesn't care about me; if she did, she wouldn't have brought me here."

"Maybe she cares, maybe she doesn't, but it's worth a shot. We're getting desperate here, Perce. We're at a dead end. We think and think and think, but we always come up empty handed. This could be our chance. Don't blow it."

"Thalia's right," Rachel added, "You may not want to see Annabeth after what she did to you, but this is our shot. And you need to take it."

"Alright. I'll do it, but after dinner when the guards are bringing us in for the night."

I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that I'd have to face Annabeth again. When I arrived here, I didn't even plan on talking to her, let alone beg for her assistance to escape from a prison she gladly trapped me in. But my friends and I needed help even if that included talking to Annabeth Stupid Traitor Chase.

I just hope I won't regret it later.

* * *

The hours flew by faster than normal and before I knew it, I was out of the cell and in the cafeteria for dinner. My friends attempted to calm my nerves as they loudly munched their food. Unfortunately, their effort did nothing but make me more anxious for my upcoming encounter.

Then, it was time. The guards came through the doors, hollering for us to leave the room in an orderly fashion.

Scanning the room, I found a familiar head of curly blond hair off to my right. And there she was, standing against the wall with her arms crossed, eyes searching for anything out of the ordinary. Her celestial bronze dagger that she had had ever since she was seven rested against her hip. She had a scowl on her face as she observed the demigods, obviously depicting the best way to take each one down if a fight were to occur.

Even after everything she did to me, my heart still flipped around in my chest at the sight of her. Sometimes, I really wish it'd stop; it won't make any difference that I still like her, that I miss our relationship, that I miss what we used to be. But I can't help how I feel, I can't change my feelings even though it would most likely be for the best if I did. Annabeth doesn't love me, that I'm sure of, but if she helps me escape, I'll know that deep down she really did care about me, that our friendship mattered to her. And maybe, just maybe, that'll make this whole thing hurt a bit less.

The closer I got, the tighter the knots in my stomach felt. Each step felt like I was walking into the lion's den; one wrong move and it would strike. Well, in this case, _she _would strike and strike to kill at that.

When I was an arms length away, I tapped her shoulder, causing her head to swivel in my direction. When she realized who I was, her eyes immediately widened like she was shocked that I actually came to talk to her.

"Um..hey,Percy." Annabeth said hesitantly like if she said one incorrect word, I'd run away and be gone for good.

_It's now or never._

"Hi, Annabeth," I replied, inwardly smiling when a small smile grew on her lips as I spoke her name, "Listen, I need help."

"Help?"

"I need to get out of here." _There I said it_. Now I can only hope Annabeth can find it somewhere in her heart to do this favor for me.

"Are you insane," She whisper-shouted at me, "Even if I help, you're only going to get caught and once they catch you, they're going to ki-" She trailed off, unable to finish her thought.

"That won't happen if you help," I retorted, my tone matching her hushed yet stern pitch. "Please, Annabeth, if you care about me at all, you'll do this for me."

"Percy, I-"

"C'mon, we need you, I need you… And you and I both know I can't stay here. One more month in this awul prison and I'm going to go mad, crazy. Then, you can officially call me Seaweed Brain because there's going to be nothing left up here." I said, placing my pointer finger to my temple.

Closing her eyes, she remained silent, contemplating her options-hopefully leaning toward my side of the argument. Annabeth appeared to be warring with herself, one side screaming to help while the other battled against it, stating how that idea would get her nowhere.

My palms began to sweat as the seconds ticked by without a response. _This is it. If Annabeth says no, we'll have no chance. We need help from the inside or the outside and since we have no way to contact demigods outside the prison, inside help is our best bet. _

Finally after several long, agonizing seconds, she opened her mouth and said:

"I'll do it," I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding before launching myself at her, pulling her into an embrace. Mentally slapping myself back to reality I took in what I was doing and quickly released her. "but on one condition."

"And that is?"

"You let me come with you when you're out."

"Fine."

We shook hands to confirm our agreement before Annabeth led me back down the familiar hallway to my cell for the night.

"Thanks, Annabeth," I said just before she left and disappeared down the hall.

She nodded once before telling me goodnight and briskly heading back the way we'd come.

* * *

I awoke the following morning to a sharp pain. Jolting awake, I found Annabeth standing over me, her foot placed firmly to my chest, with Ethan, the boy who dragged me from my home, and Luke, both standing behind her.

_Shit! Annabeth told them. She betrayed my trust again. _But to my surprise, the words that left Annabeth's lips had nothing to do with yanking me away to suffer unimaginable punishment.

"Several sets of guards keys have gone missing, yours included, and it's mandatory proceedure to search the jail until they're found. You and the other inmates will be sent to the outer part of the prison." She said, pulling me up and out of the cell, down the corridor to our destination.

The outer part of the jail is surprisingly outside which is kind of unbelievable, considering the mortals are so worried we'll escape. But anyway, it's this small, grassy area, spanning about half of a football field, with an enormous, rusted barbed wire, electric fence surrounding it. There aren't many guards out to supervise us-I think that's because they believe their fence is "impenetrable" or so they say. Other than that, there's not much else out there besides dandelions and maybe some dirt. Basically, all the demigods just sit around out there and talk with each other until it's time to head back in after inspection, which could take hours. Because of all the demigods, of course. It's a good place if you want your conversations private, unheard by eavesdropping ears.

As we arrived, I quickly picked Thalia, Nico, and Rachel out of the crowd and strode over to them. But halfway there, I was stopped by Annabeth who instead of speaking, simply slipped a small, folded piece of notebook paper into my hand before walking away without a word.

Glancing around, making sure our odd exchange went unnoticed, I unfolded the paper which read:

_Tonight's the night. Be ready. Wait for the signal._

_~Annabeth_

I read the note over multiple times to ensure that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. They weren't. _Looks like Annabeth pulled through._

I smiled.

After tonight, I won't be Inmate 518, the jailbird of Lotus prison; I'll be Percy Jackson, escapee from the most safeguarded prison in the world.

The mortals may have deluded themselves into thinking they're so high and mighty compared to demigods, but just wait until they see what we can do.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all so much for the reviews! They made me smile :) Well here's chapter 3.**

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**Chapter 3**

I paced the length of my cell, anxiously awaiting the signal that could make or break our future. My nerves were shot; Butterflies were fluttering angrily in my gut, doing nothing but causing my heart rate to quicken and my palms to persperate. I'd gone over the plan with Thalia, Rachel, and Nico countless times until I was certain every twist and turn was embedded in their brains, able to recite it word for word even in their sleep. A small part of me that I lost all respect for repeatedly whispered in my head to leave them, go off on my own, every man for himself. But another part, a bigger part, urged me to stay, no matter what, for better or for worse, and help my friends through this even it cost me my life. Which I would no doubt pay if it came down to me and them. I'd give my life to save theirs, no doubt in my mind.

Leaning my back against the chilly, stone wall, I inhaled, trying desperately to calm myself, but failing miserable. That's when I heard it. The clank clanking of heeled boots stomping the hall floors and the clinking of keys as someone approached. _The watchman. Right on time as always._ Perfect. So far everything was going according to plan. You see, there's only three watchmen who patrol the halls; once they're out of the picture, we'll be able to sneak throughout the interior of the prison, no problem.

He strolled lazily up and down the hallway, past row after row of inmates trapped behind steel bars, humming softly to himself. Stopping his rounds only when the lights flickered which seemed to hold little importance to him, but meant the weight of the world to me. That was the signal…er… the most subtle one that crossed our minds that is.

Showtime.

"Excuse me, sir." I called out to the burly man who paused when he'd heard my voice.

"What do you want?" The deep voiced man bellowed, his voice gruff and authoritive. I'd gotten his attention, but I didn't get him to approach the bars. Time was ticking and I knew I had to get those keys before Annabeth initiates her part of the plan.

"I found a pair of those missing keys from the other night and wanted to return them to their rightful owner." I said, hurriedly making an excuse for him to come closer.

"Alright." He crossed the distance between us in seconds and unhooked the keys from his belt, sifting through the key ring for the appropriate key. I launched my fist forward, his eye getting the blunt of the force. He was thrown off balance and hit the floor with a soft thud, covering his now swollen eye with his palm.

Taking my chance, I scooped the keys up off the floor and thrust the key into the lock, twisting until I heard a familiar _click. _I pushed the door open and stepped out into the hall, the man writhing in pain at my feet. A moan escaped his lips and bounced around the hall. I delivered a swift kick to the head which rendered him unconscious so his cries wouldn't be heard. I didn't want to hurt him, I really didn't, but there was no other way.

The once flickering lights now shut off entirely and along with them the power. _Go Annabeth. _The only lights remaining were an emergency light placed every ten feet. You see, the power runs not only the lights, but the security cameras and motion sensors within the jail, saving us the time and energy of having to knock all them out ourselves. Unfortunately, the spotlights outside are run by a back up generator which Annabeth doesn't have access to so that obstacle we're going to have no help with.

I crept my way down the hallway before turning down a another that lead to the cells holding Thalia and Nico who were conveniently placed rather close.

About halfway down, stood the second watchman, looking almost identical to the one I'd knocked out, but his hair was dark while the other man's had been blond and his gray shirt was untucked.

Creeping closer, staying in the shadows where the emergency lights couldn't reach, I snuck within an arm's length away, just about to send him into LaLa land like the other watchman, when he unexpectedly spun around, eyes widening as he saw me.

I raised my fist and swung, but he sidestepped just in time and sent a forceful blow to my abdomen. I doubled over, the breath knocked out of me, and the watchmen threw a flying kick, his foot catching me in the face. I saw stars momentarily before I righted myself and sent a hard kick to his kneecap, causing him to stumble and clutch his most likely broken knee. Taking his weakness to my advantage, I delivered several punches to which had him staggering through the hall before leaning heavily on the bars of one of the cells. As I approached him, he cowered, putting on the persona that he was weak and defenseless which we both knew clearly wasn't the case.

Before I could reach him, he sprinted past me down the way I'd come. I chased after him, pumping my legs harder and harder. _Gotta stop him. Gotta stop him. _That was my mantra. I repeated it over and over, encouraging myself to push harder.

But I was too late, he slapped his massive hand on a large, red lever, pulling it down. A loud siren emitted from overhead speakers and the emergency lights turned from white to vibrant red in seconds.

"Too late, boy. Good luck now." He chuckled, but it lacked humor and was cruel.

I launched my leg forward in a roundhouse kick, my foot hitting him in the temple, and he too fell unconscious.

Sprinting back to the hall holding my friends, I ran to their cells and unlatched them.

"Good to see you, Perce." Nico said at the same time Thalia said:

" 'Bout time."

"Ignore her. What happened with the guard?"

"He's unconscious, but he managed to sound the alarm before I took him out. So we're going to have some company if we don't shut up, get Rachel, and go before we're killed."

"Spoken like a true demigod." Thalia said.

We took off running down the last hallway on the right and found Rachel, hands clutching the bars, mouth agape as she watched Thalia sucker punch the watchman with a battle cry of "You're an asshole". He was out like a light.

The four of us took the route that Annabeth had so kindly mapped out for us, leading us straight to an exit. After running for several agonizing minutes, we spotted the red exit sign at the end of the hall and pumped our legs harder. _So close._

"Stop right there!" A booming voice shouted angrily before thumping footsteps were heard.

Horde after horde of guards surged toward us, hollering for us to stop, which went in one ear and out the other. Instead of slowing to a stop, all of us picked up the pace, muscles propelling us forward.

The door was so close. 15 feet. 10 feet. 5 feet. I shoved the door open, barreling outside, holding it open for my friends, and slammed it closed after all had made it out. Sadly, the door didn't lock which in my opinion was incredibly stupid, an exit without a lock. With no other choice, I leaned my body into the center of the door, using my weight to keep it closed and hopefully, keep our pursurers at bay until the others get away.

I could hear them, pounding and screaming on the other side, angry shouts and curses. Their strength overpowered mine and they managed to open the door about a fourth of the way. Hands emerged from the openly, blindly clawing for me.

"Nico! I need help; I can't hold it by myself."

Nico ran over to me and threw himself against the metal door, managing to knock a few of the guards on the other side off balance. But even with Nico's help it wasn't enough. Any minute they'd break through and we'd be overwhelmed. I knew what I had to do, what I prepared myself for since the beginning. This descision I didn't even need to give a second thought. And that's why I didn't hesitate when I said:

"Guys, go. Get out of here, I'll hold them off."

"But, Percy, you can't-" Rachel began before I cut her off.

"I'll be fine. Just get going." My voice sounded more confident than I felt and for that I was grateful for. I didn't want my friends to know how hopless this was, I didn't want them to know that I wouldn't make it through this.

" See you on the other side, Perce." Thalia muttered, her voice deflated-I think she figured it out that I didn't plan on making it out. "And I want you to know that I really appreciate what you're doing." And with that, Thalia grabbed Rachel by the arm and dragged her away at a full sprint. Only Nico remained.

"Go. I can't hold it forever."

"I can't just leave you, Percy. They'll kill you and I can't let them do that. You're my friend, you've been there for me when nobody else has, and how can I repay you for that if you're dead."

"I don't want you to repay me, everything I did, I wanted to do, to help you. So please, go, take care of the others."

He nodded once and slowly took his weight off the door.

"You're a great guy, Percy, and an even better friend. If they lock you back up, I'll be back to break you out. And that's a promise." He bolted after Thalia and Rachel before I could protest.

I was alone. No one would have to witness my death, no one would have to watch as I writhed in agony. Gratitude washed over me; I didn't want any of them to have to see that, see me at my weakest, see me unable to stand and fight for them.

My body tired and my muscles ached and I knew that this was it. This was when I'd have to let go, move out of the way, let them come. Just as I began to ease my weight off the door, I heard a distinct feminine voice ask:

"Need any help?" I turned shocked and locked eyes with none other than Annabeth, a smug smiling adorning her face. Right then I was thrown back and the door burst open.

The army of guards eyed us up and down, analyzing us, trying to guess our strengths and weaknesses.

"Take this." Annabeth held out her left hand to me, in it was a familiar ball-point pen gleaming proudly. Picking it up, I gave it a click and before my eyes the pen had transformed into….Riptide. My beautiful sword was the same as it had been the last time I'd seen it, about five, long months ago. It sparkled brightly as if it had been recently polished, its grip still molded perfectly to fit my hand.

I stood before them, feet ready, breathing slowed, eyes locked on my targets, mind set only on the problem at hand. Annabeth was at my side, clutching her dagger, her unoccupied hand wrapped tightly around mine. She tapped her index finger against my palm three times and I nodded subtly, informing her that I understood what she meant. She touched her finger to my palm again. Tap._ One. _Pause. Tap. _Two. _Pause. Tap. _Three. _We struck together, as one, as we had for as long as I could remember.

Slashing and swinging in the heart of battle, my instincts kicked in and I went into battle mode. Swing. Parry. Jab. Dodge. Swing. Slice. Block. Roll. Kick. Swing. My body became a machine, plowing down enemies, leaving them face down in my wake, only stopping when not a single one stood standing. Ragged breaths and pants were all that was heard. Silence. No guards, no shouts, no sounds of fighting, nothing, but our breathing.

"Woah. That was amazing." Annabeth said in awe, admiration dripping off her tone.

"Ditto."

"Let's get going. Maybe, we can catch up to Nico and everyone."

We continued on, Annabeth in front leading me while I had her back, constantly surveying the area to ensure no stragglers were running amuck. I thought I was certain there wasn't. Boy, was I wrong. I was roughly tackled from behind and hit the ground. Hard. My head throbbed, my palms scratched and bloodied from throwing them out to break my fall, the person's knee dug painfully into my spine.

"So, you thought you could get away from me, did you, Percy?" A voice whispered menacingly in my ear.

I was flipped onto my back, his knee now pressing into my sternum, and I got a good look at his face. Blue eyes. Blond hair. Long scar. Oh joy, it's Luke.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment, no idea how long I waited to finally spill your blood through this jail. I begged Kronos, begged him, to let me kill you, but he refused. He thought were you special, useful, so he kept you around. Then, one day, he asked me to bring you in, bring you here, and I knew that you'd try to escape, I knew I'd get my chance to end your sorry excuse for a life. And now, it's finally here. Any last words, Perseus Jackson?"

"Just one. Duck." His face painted on an expression of confusion, but he didn't have much time to think it over because he was tackled off me by the one and only, Annabeth Chase.

Getting back on my feet and dusting off my pants, I looked over at Luke who was pinned against the wall of the prison with Annabeth, who was laughably shorter than him, pressing her dagger into his jugular, her grip confident and strong.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." Annabeth mumbled in his ear.

"Because I can help you."

"Sure you can. Just like you helped me discover what the ground tastes like or how it feels to be in complete solitude for 22 hours of the day. Or how you turned Annabeth against me. Or-" I yelled furiously, wiping away his smug smile.

"I admit to the other things, but Annabeth traded sides on her own; I had nothing to do with that."

"Of course you didn't," I rolled my eyes, not at all believing his pathetic excuses.

"Believe what you want, but if I were you, I'd ask Annabeth now…..before it's too late." A wicked smirk darkened his features and his hand went behind his back toward his pocket. I barreled toward him and shouted:

"Annabeth! Look out!" Everything felt like it was in slow motion, Luke yanking his arm around, a flash of metal catching the light, the determination to save her life, a blood-curdling scream, the horror I felt when the knife hit its mark. She crumpled to the ground in a motionless heap, blood seaping from the wound, staining the lush green grass an ugly shade of red.

A deep sadness cut through me before it was replaced by inconsumable rage. All I saw was red, red like a rose, red like a fire truck, and now, red like Annabeth's blood. Anger and adrenaline willed my body forward and I scooped up Annabeth's fallen knife. Luke backed away, face full of panic as we locked eyes, mine no doubt as petrifying as Medusa's. Satifactsion filled me; I wanted him to be afraid, fear me, beg me for mercy as I complete the task that has long been overdue. Kill Luke Castellan.

I let out a shout and charged toward, knife raised high over my head. Now, I'm pretty sure the average person would think I was psycho, especially from the expression of full on rage glued to my face.

"I'll see you in Tartarus," I growled, plunging the blade into his chest to which he let out a gasp. But to my surprise, a brilliant smile lit up his features and he had a knowing gleam in his eye. And before I knew it, he was flat out chuckling and those chuckles then became laughter. He was giggling histerically now, his whole body jolting as each laugh left him.

"Oh, Percy," He said, recoving from his laughing fit, wiping a non-existant tear from the corner of his eye. "You're so silly when you're clueless." He noticed my confusion and elaborated. "Did you honestly think I'd let you kill me so easily? Oh my Lord Kronos, Percy, you must feel so stupid. The thing is that I can't die, moron, wounded, yes. But I cannot die, I am immortal, undying, and I'll be healthy and young while you wither away with age. Nice try, buddy boy, but no matter how many times you injure me, I'll just bounce right back, same as I had been before I was ever hurt. So long, cuz, hope you enjoy Annabeth's company…you know, while she's still alive, that is. Which will be for about…er…maybe….15 minutes." With a puff of shimmering gold smoke, he evaporated, disappearing from beneath me.

Not wasting another second, I rushed over to Annabeth and kneeled at her side, feeling the outside of her neck for a pulse. I breathed a sigh of relief as her heart beat thrummed through my fingers; it was faint and slow, but better than not beating at all. Her chest rose and fell with ragged, struggled breaths. The gray t-shirt was soaked through with crimson blood and was now being splattered with soft tears that streamed from my eyes, down the slope of my nose, and onto Annabeth. My heart was breaking, tearing into tiny fragments so microscopic I wouldn't be able to find them to piece my heart back together again. She was my best friend, traitor or not, and I won't just sit here and let the life leave her right before my eyes.

I slid my hand under her head, the other on the back her knees, and cradled her against me, leaving the knife still in her chest to avoid rupturing an important organ by wiggling it out. The wind whipped though her soft curls as I took off toward the field the inmates were brought to when the keys went missing.

It looked no different than before, but now not a single guard was seen or even heard. Every last one of them laid face down in the grass, eyes glassy and lifeless, staring ahead not blinking even as a blade of grass poked one in the eye. The spotlights positioned at the guard tower remained still, no longer did they sweep the field back and forth, seeking out a potential threat. A barren area once covered with grass stood of to my right, blackened and charred like a fire burned through, bright and scorching. And there, standing proudly in the center, was my friends.

"Took you long enough. I thought I'd have gray hair and wrinkles by the time you caught up." Thalia grumbled, attempting to sound angry, but came up short and her voice sounded relieved.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm glad to see you, too, but Annabeth's been hurt, badly. We need help, medical supplies, ambrosia, nectar, The Golden Fle-"

"Percy! Take a deep breath. Everything's going to be fine, okay? Come on." She lead me over the barbed wire fence on the outskirts of the prison. The metal still stood strong, but a large, person-sized hole now cut through the metal links.

"Ladies first," Thalia said, gesturing for me to go through.

Not even stopping to protest the lady comment, I crouched low, still holding Annabeth close, and pushed through the hole. The others followed suit before taking off into the dense woodland in front of us.

Trees and leaves and wood. The occasional animal. That's all I managed to spot as we sprinted through the forest, moving as far away from the prison as possible, leaving our painful past in the distance behind us. We stopped moments later at a small creak and seeing no other option, I kneeled before the cool, clear water and prayed to my father, Poseidon, god of the seas. _Father, please, help me. Annabeth is hurt; we need help._ No reply.

Time passed. I don't know how long. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? To me, it felt like an eternity sitting in the forest, hopelessness weaseling its way into my heart.

"Did someone call a doctor?" A voice enthusiastically called from behind us.

Spinning around quickly, I glanced at the stranger, immediately recognizing the tall figure standing a few feet away. Apollo.

Gratitude and emotion clogged my throat, preventing me from speaking the words I wanted to say, so I instead pointed to Annabeth. Apollo stepped forward, examined the situation, and quickly got to work, speaking an incantation under his breath, unheard by our ears. At an instant, the blood that coated her shirt receded and was seeping through her wound back into her pale, seemingly lifeless body, returning the color to her face. He pulled the dagger, still protruding from her chest, out slowly and the deep gash sealed itself before our eyes. A thin, white scar remained, a constant reminder of the time she was almost taken from me.

"Let her get some rest, get her strength back. Percy, you can carry her. We need to get moving if were going to make it before sunset while we still have the cover of night." Apollo said, rising from the ground, towering over us. "Oh, and Percy, you're father told me tell you he's very proud of you, willing to risk your life to save someone else's. I'm certain Poseidon couldn't have asked for a better son."

"Thank you," I replied shyly, not used to receiving such compliments.

"Well, lets get going. We have a lot of walking to do."

And together, huddled close, we set off into a dark forest headed Zeus knows where with no light, strange noises, my unconscious ex-girlfriend, and a crazy, poetry spouting, medicine god.

Oh joy.

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**Well, that's chapter 3. Hope you liked it! Leave a review and let me know what you think. :) Let's try to get up to15 reviews for this story. Only seven more to go.**

**Also, school has picked up once again. *Cue loud booing* So I don't know how often I'll be able to update. If things get too hectic, I'll only be updating on Saturdays to help me manage between my school work and my stories. R.I.P Summer!**

**Thanks,**

**~TwistedTrident~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"How much longer?" Nico whined, dragging his feet through the soft soil of the forest floor. He'd complained almost the entire time and it was officially starting to get on my nerves. And when he wasn't complaining, he spewed meaningless nonsense that I'm pretty sure none of us cared about. For such a little guy, he was a huge chatterbox. Although, I'd rather take Nico's complaining over Apollo's "I am so awesome poems" which he'd been shouting the second they'd come to his mind-I swear my ears will start bleeding if I have to hear another one.

"We've been walking FOREVER." Nico cried way over dramatically. He's such a Drama Queen.

"Nico, we've walked for barely two hours so stop being so mellow dramatic. Your complaining is only going to get us unwanted attention so I suggest you stop now before I staple your mouth shut."

He didn't say anything else after that, but he sure looked like he had a few words he wanted to tell me and I had a hunch that they weren't very nice. But at least he stopped even if it meant that silence took over and our ears picked up every scuttle and snap that sounded all around us. It was unnerving not being able to see where you're going, hearing noises in the pitch blackness, unable to identify what made them and where they're coming from. The worst part is when you spot movement in your peripheral vision, you turn your head toward it and it's gone. You have no idea what it is, an animal? A person? An enemy? A friend? It's unknown.

The hair on my neck prickled and I heard rustling behind me. I stopped, turned around slowly, and saw….nothing. Nada. Maybe I was just imagining everything, creating false feelings and noises in mind. That has to be it. I'm just being paranoid, which I should be after breaking out of the most elite prison in the world. I'm just paranoid that Kronos would track me down and demand my head on a platter. Yeah, that's it. No matter how hard I tried to reassure myself, part of me didn't believe it.

_Snap! _My head flew to the noise as the twig snapped loudly off to my right. I surveyed the ground for the said stick when a indentation in the soggy brown dirt caught my eye. It was a footprint, but not a human one. It looked like-_Hooves? _Probably from a deer, but as I examined the tracks closer, I took notice that instead of four like a deer would have, there were only two. _What kind of animal has only two hooves? _

A whimper emitted from somewhere in the distance, soft and petrified. Whatever was out there was scared to death. Following the soft breaths, I was lead to a massive oak tree, the trunk thicker than three of me put together. I traced my hands over the rough, splintering bark when I heard rustling leaves just behind the oak. Circling around, I found a satyr, body pressed against the trunk, peeking around the corner cautiously. His shoulders were tensed and sweat trickled down his neck, speckling his fiery orange t-shirt. He constantly shifted his weight from hoof to hoof, preparing himself to run at the first sign of danger, which to him, would be me. He had curly redish orange hair tucked underneath a Rasta cap. His furry goat legs were bare.

I stepped toward him, taking slow, tentative steps so I wouldn't scare him off, and tapped his shoulder, causing him whip towards me and send a sharp kick to my chest. I flew backwards about 5 feet away, the wind knocked out of me. A groan left my lips as I laid on the forest floor, staring up at the blindingly bright stars above me.

The satyr hesitantly crept forward, tapping the tip of his hoove against the sole of my shoe.

"Umm…are-are you okay?" He asked timidly, his hands shaking slightly despite them being fisted at his sides.

"Not really. I feel like I've been trampled by a heard of elephants chasing after a bucket of peanuts."

"Sorry about that. Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better." The satyr leaned down to my level and placed the lip of a canteen to my lips. The cool, refreshing liquid poured down my parched throat, tasting no different than my mother's homemade blue chocolate chip cookies back home, healing my aching and most likely bruised body from the inside. My cuts and scrapes faded and the pain in my chest receded, making me feel good as new. Better than I had felt in months.

"Thanks,…umm…didn't catch your name?"

"That's 'cause I didn't throw it out there. But I'm Grover Underwood. And you are?"

"Percy Jackson. Nice to meet you. So, what are doing out here all by yourself?"

"Trying to get away from that madness over there," He pointed in the darkness off to the right. "It's chaos, absolute chaos. Demigods aren't the only ones being captured and locked away; the mortals have moved on to satyrs and nature spirits now, too. They think were a "danger to society", which is insane because we not big and brawny like you demigods."

"What makes you think I'm a demigod?" I asked curiously, a little uneasy that me managed to figure it out so easily.

"You have a distinct odor." He explained matter of factly, seeming satisfied with his answer.

"Umm…I'm sorry? I haven't really had time to shower lately." Which was the truth. Lotus Prison lacked many common necessities, but a shower was the worst. If you wanted to talk to another demigod, you'd have to stand at least three feet away or you'd catch a whiff of some bad BO. My nose will never be the same.

"No, no, I'm not saying you smell, well I am, but not in a bad way. I'm saying demigods have a certain smell that allows us to identify you."

"Percy." Someone called, voice echoing through the large expanse that separated my friends and I, their voice filled with worry.

"Percy, where are you?" A second voice bellowed, this one more masculine and rough. Nico.

Regret flooded through my body. I shouldn't have just wandered off. They're probably worried sick that someone or something had snatched me away without them knowing. Apollo most likely couldn't care less, but my friends are obviously distraught with my sudden disappearing act.

"Over here." I called back, hoping they'd hear and relax a bit.

"I've got to go. It was nice meeting you, Grover." I brushed past him and trekked back toward where I'd left my friends.

"Wait," Grover shouted, running to catch up to me, "Where are you going?"

"Umm…" I was unable to recall where Apollo was taking us or if he'd told us at all. "I'm not really sure honestly." Turning back around, I continued walking when Grover once again stopped me.

"How about I make you a deal?"

"What kind of deal?"

"I'll bring you somewhere safe, no one will be able to get to you, ever, but in return, you offer me protection. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly a fighter like you; I can't protect myself, but you, you can. So, what do you say?" He asked hopefully, eyes wide and pleading as they stared straight into mine. Grover seemed to be looking right into my soul and call me a sap, but it broke my heart as his saddened eyes connected to mine. His face held a widespread mixture of emotions ranging from hopeful to sad to terrified to begging, begging for me to accept a deal that is an obvious lie. He seemed honest, but I knew he wasn't considering he'd just lied to me. There is no safe place, there's no place in the entire world that can protect our kind, no place in existence is safe for us and there never will be. But he needed protection, safety, someone he could count on to fight for him, and I'll be damned if I say I wasn't tempted for the job.

I rocked my jaw from side to side, chewing my thoughts, before looking into his brown eyes again, searching for anything that could talk me out of offering help, searching for any sign that he wanted to cause me harm. And I came up with none. Nothing, but sad eyes that tell of an unspoken heartache that has left him raw and exposed. Emotion like this is incapable of being faked. No man has the ability to conjure up such loss and use it as an act of deception. Not emotion like this, not emotion that runs so deep it leaves cracks in the heart.

Right then. Right at that moment, I knew. I knew I couldn't leave him. He was so sad and so broken, his eyes dull and lacking luster. Safe haven or no safe haven, he's coming with me.

"There's no such place," He frowned and opened his mouth to object, but I cut him off, "and you don't need to lie in order for my assistance to be offered, but I'll help you, you come with me. No monsters will get to you, no mortal will lock you away, you'll be safe as long as I'm standing" He smiled gratefully, shaking my outstretched hand up and down, as he thanked me repeatedly.

"Percy." A relieved feminine voice said, releasing a long, deep breath.

I caught a head of red hair in the corner of my eye and knew it could only be Rachel. Turning my head toward her, I offered a small smile to assure her that I'm alright, which worked because her tensed features relaxed and the worry receded from her face.

"We've been looking everywhere for you. We thought something bad happened." She let out another sigh of relief when she realized we weren't alone. Shifting her attention over to Grover, she quickly became confused and looked toward me to explain.

"Rachel, this is Grover. I heard him moving around by this tree and followed him, which explains why I wandered off. I want to take him with us."

She gave me a look that clearly expressed how she thought I lost a few marbles.

"Can I talk to for a second, Percy?" She asked.

"Yeah sure."

She threw yet another rude look at me when I stood there waiting for her to speak.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I meant talk over there, in private."

"Oh, okay. One second, Grover, I'll be right back"

Rachel led me, or more accurately, dragged my by the arm deeper into the forest, about 10 feet away from Grover before stopping us.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She hissed at me.

"What do you mean?"

"You're just inviting random people to come with us."

"He's not random."

She raised one red eyebrow critically, causing me to rethink my statement.

"Okay, okay. I know it seems kind of random, considering I just met him, but he needs help. Just look at him. He's all alone, he needs somebody."

"Percy, has it ever occurred to you that people never tell the truth? That's what this world has come to. It's not the same as it was before all of this happened. I'm not the same, you're not the same, no one's the same. Everyone's self-centered and cruel and you'd know that if you were with us when Apollo was telling us about how things have been while we were imprisoned. Things have gotten worse. Demigods are turning against demigods, their own kind, their family, to avoid capture. They're turning in their stepbrothers and sisters to spare themselves the solitude of the prison. The nature spirits, the satyrs, the naiads, are just as bad, lying to get what they want whether it be food, shelter, drachmas, anything they can get their hands on that's useful. And it only gets worse from there. Anyone, demigod, satyr, man, woman, or child, who resist capture are slaughtered. It's a massacre, Percy. Hundreds are being murdered. And here you are, inviting a satyr to join us, risking ourselves for someone who's only going to let us down."

"That's awful. How could anyone do that to those people? What possessed them to become even worse than the monsters that we fight against?" I was appalled, disgusted, by the demigod race that dare call themselves heroes.

"Self-preservation. As long as they're alive, they couldn't care less about the ones who aren't. To them, it's survival of the fittest. They've convinced themselves that only the ones numb enough to sacrifice others will survive. Now do you understand why I'm paranoid about new people? All we have is each other, you, Nico, Thalia, me, we're all we have, we can only trust each other. Together, all of us, can get through this thing alive and maybe even change things, but we can't do that if we're dead. We can't take any chances, none, not even for this Grover guy."

"I don't know, Rachel. He just seems different and I've got this crazy feeling that meeting him wasn't a coincidence. Part of me truly believes he can help us."

"Percy, he's lying. He doesn't want to help, he just wants everything we have, down to the clothes on our backs.

"But I don't think he is. I say we give him a change, one day. One day to observe him. If he's acting strange or odd, then he's gone, we'll make him leave." Her skeptical expression was glued to her face and she appeared to be less than pleased that I was so set on Grover coming along, but slowly, her face softened. " Please, Rachel." She didn't looked happy about it, but I could read it in her eyes that she was going to give me permission.

"Alright, Percy," She said with a sigh, " but on one condition."

"What is it? I'll do anything."

"Make Annabeth leave." My heart literally stopped beating. Annabeth was a lying bitch, but I couldn't abandon her to fend for herself. I couldn't, my heart couldn't take it.

"But…but….but…why?"

"Thalia and I were talking and we came to the conclusion that it would be best if she left. And didn't come back. Oh, Percy, don't look so surprised. Annabeth works for Kronos, she's not the same girl that you were in love with, and you need to come to terms with that. She helped us escape, but it's not enough."

"What do you mean it isn't enough?"

"Percy, how do we know that that whole escape thing wasn't for a bigger purpose, huh? How do we know that they didn't let us escape on purpose? It seemed too easy. I think they wanted us to get out for some reason. Maybe so they could play a game of cat and mouse with us, I don't know, but it seemed way too easy. And Annabeth is a part of that, a part of a group that wants us gone. How does that make you feel?"

"Sick to my stomach."

"I know you care about her, but it's time to let her go." She said gently, patting my shoulder. "We should head back."

Our trip was silent, not a word was spoken. Too many thoughts swam through my mind. Truthfully, I wanted to be mad at Rachel, to shout at her, but for what? Being right? That's not fair. She'd hit the nail on the head, put everything into perspective for me. My mind had been clouded by thoughts of freedom. I hadn't been able to see the whole picture. Rachel was right, 100% right. Our escape was too easy. Kronos and the army want something, but what? And why us? Why us out of all people? I didn't have the answers. And as much as I wanted to deny it, Rachel had been right about Annabeth. I can't let my heart cloud my judgement and I sure can't let my friends get hurt because of it. She needs to leave, to go far, far away from us. It's for the best.

We found Thalia and the other several minutes later. All of them were clustered around a makeshift fire pit, the orange flame licking the wooden slabs, setting them ablaze. Nico looked worried as he fidgeted and scanned the woods for me. Thalia, on the other hand, had her arms crossed angrily over her chest and a harsh glare adorning her features. If looks could kill, I'd be a goner. Apollo couldn't care less that I'd pulled a Houdini act. The crazy god was tapping two twigs together like they were drumsticks setting the beat for a tune; he appeared to be enjoying himself as he tapped his feet and bopped his head to the rhythm.

Walking out of the shadow of a tree, I approached and threw myself down on a log placed carelessly around the fire, slumping over with my elbows on my knees and face in my hands. Exhaustion swept over me despite the nectar that coursed throughout my body not moments ago.

"Percy, you're back." Nico exclaimed at the same time Thalia screamed:

"Where the hell have you been?"

"I thought I heard something so I went to check it out and I found something."

"We'd looked everywhere for you and when we didn't find you, we thought you were dead," Thalia shrieked, ignoring what I'd said. "Do have any idea how that made us feel? Like failures, that's how. We felt like we'd failed you, we'd let you get killed, and there was nothing we could have done."

"I know and I'm sorry, but I'd like you to meet someone," I waved Grover over and slumped down beside me on the log. "This is-"

"_Grover?_!" Thalia said in awe.

"Oh my gods. Thalia." He ran…err….trotted over to her and pulled her in for a quick hug. "I can't believe I found you, it's been so long." They chatted away, catching up on what happened since they'd been separated.

Apparently, when Thalia was younger about 7 or 8, she'd went to school with Grover and they'd been friends. One day, the school had been attacked and Grover had gotten Thalia out safely. He'd told her what he was and that he could protect her and bring her somewhere where she could learn to harness her power. They'd traveled together for months, dodging monsters, calling cabs, mile after mile of walking, until finally, they reached the front gate of the safe place. A place known as Camp Halfblood. Grover told her that no monsters could get through the magic barrier surrounding the camp. Just before they were about enter, they were ambushed. Hordes of monsters slipped from the shadows and into view, forming a tight circle around them. Grover tried to convince Thalia to run, but she wouldn't leave him. The monsters, all of varying kinds and species, charged forward, weapons raised, bellowing a fierce battle cry. Thalia closed her eyes and focused her mind, thinking only of the blinding jagged bolts that illuminated the skys. She could feel the electricity in her fingertips, quickly surging throughout her entire being, itching to unleashed, and all hell broke loose. The monsters disintegrated from the charge, evaporating into thick, puffy dust that coated the ground. That had been the first time Thalia had summoned lightening. She was thrilled that she managed to use her power to call upon it and that was her biggest mistake. Thalia had be so elated, jumping up and down in her own personal bubble of excitement that she hadn't noticed that one monster still remained, perched behind her. The giant lept out, tossing her over his shoulder as she cried out for Grover. Thalia had tried to summon the lightening once again, but was so drained from the first time and her energy was so depleted that she couldn't summon another bolt. Grover had kicked, clawed, bitten, played his reed pipes, even hit the creature with a large tree branch, but its grip never loosened. The monster soon became annoyed with Grover's futile attempts at a rescue mission and knocked him over the head with its club. Grover quickly lost consciouness, the last thing he had heard was the screams of Thalia being dragged away from him to the unknown.

Thalia had managed to escape, of course, but she wouldn't tell us how. I'm thinking it's because it still haunts her to this day and speaking of it will only reopen the wound.

I don't know how long I sat around the fire, chewing my thoughts, replaying Thalia's story over and over in my head, but it must have been a while because when I looked at it, it was barely a spark. I threw several more logs onto the small flame, blowing on it so it can feed off of the oxygen.

I heard snoring off to my right and found Nico laying across the logs, legs tucked close to his body, teeth chattering, goose bumps coating his bare arms from where the short sleeves don't reach. Poor guy must be freezing. Creeping closely to a sleeping Apollo, I gently slid the purple hoodie off his shoulders and draped it over Nico, who sighed in his sleep.

I looked toward Thalia and Rachel, who were still awake, but now slumped over face in their hands, eyelids drooping, exhaustion clear on both their faces.

"You guys sleep, I'll take first watch." I told them, tilting my head towards an unconscious Annabeth and a sleeping Grover to show that I'm not only looking out for monsters or the army, but to keep an eye on them as well. They didn't even object despite the look Thalia gave me that said she wanted to. Both of them spread themselves across the logs like Nico had done and within minutes were both sound asleep.

I plopped myself on the log, staring at the bright orange flames, before turning to look at Annabeth. _This is will probably be one of the last times I get to look at her._ The thought made me sad. I loved Annabeth, cared about her, but I don't trust her. Asking her for assistance in our escape had been a risk, but I didn't ask her out of trust. I asked her out of sheer desperation. My friends and I had discussed it plenty of times during lunch back at the cafeteria, back when we were first beginning our plan. We contemplated the risks, odds, our options and only came up with two. Rot away in the confines of our cells until we shrivel away to a shell of a person we'd once been or go down fighting. And it had been a unanimous decision on the latter. We didn't trust Annabeth, I didn't trust her. Care about her, yes, but I didn't and don't trust her. We asked for help because we were desperate, we felt like we had nothing left to lose. If she turned on us, calling the guards to put us to death, we wouldn't have gone without a fight, we would have died fighting against their cruelty, fighting for what we thought was right. Just like Bianca di Angelo had. When I burst out that exit door of the prison and out into the open air, I could've dropped dead right then and I wouldn't have cared one bit. That one taste of freedom after all those months locked away would've been worth it. Annabeth could have slit my throat herself and I wouldn't have thought of a better way to go than to have the breeze blowing on my face, to have that one taste of freedom still fresh in my mind.

Thalia woke hours later to take my place and keep watch, allowing me a few hours of much needed sleep.

I stretched out on the log as the others had. The rough bark poking me in the back through my t-shirt, but even so, I was so drained that it almost felt comfortable.

I looked at Annabeth again, soaking in every detail about her before she's gone. I can't let her stay with us. It will only cause us problems in the long run.

Tomorrow, no matter how much my heart argues against it, I'll send her packing.

But little do I know that I won't be given the chance.

* * *

**That's chapter 4. Sorry for the long wait, I've been kind of busy lately with school and I was sick for a few days. **

**Anyway, hoped you liked the chapter! :) Leave a review down at the bottom and let me know what you think.**

**~TwistedTrident~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, guys. Sorry that it took me so long to update, but I had a long labor day weekend and really busy week. I finished the chapter the other day, but just wasn't satisfied with it so I went over it again and fixed it up a bit. So here it is. Chapter 5.**

**Also, thank you all so much for the reviews! They mean a lot to me.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 5 **

I awoke the following morning, back aching, sweat trickling down my forehead, to thundering footsteps booming throughout the clearing. Shooting into a sitting position, I surveyed our surroundings. Thalia and Rachel were stirring, slowly waking, while Apollo and Nico were sound asleep. Annabeth was nowhere in sight. _That's….odd._

I stood, creeping closer to the noise, and peeked in front of a tree. _OH MY GODS! _My eyese widened as I watched hundreds of guards barreling toward us at breakneck speeds, weapons raised. Luke lead the raid, his stringy blond hair billowing in the wind, a vengeful glint in his crystal blue eyes as he directed them toward our camp. He was perched on a black pegasus who whinnied in protest whenever he tugged on its mane, urging it to go faster. The poor animal bucked and kicked, but Luke relentlessly demanded obedience, digging the heel of his boots in the pegasus's side, eliciting a painful whine from the creature.

"Split up. Kill them all and leave no survivors. But you leave Jackson to me!" Luke bellowed angrily. His men dispersed into tightly knit groups, several hundred in each, all equipped with the finest weapons and glittering armor. Celestial bronze helmets hung low over their faces, leaving only their eyes and mouths exposed.

I twisted around, manuevering my way through the trees and avoiding tree roots that jutted from the ground just waiting for me to trip over them. Branches drooped in my path, threatening to whack me if I don't push them out of the way.

Behind me, the thumping footfalls grew louder and the shouts sounded only feet away. I glanced behind me and nearly had a heart attack when I saw how quickly they were closing in on me. Only 15 feet away and gaining ground rapidly. Pushing myself harder, I put on an extra burst of speed, but my efforts were futile. The addition foot I'd put between up was closed once again when Luke yet again dug his heel into the pegasus, causing it to pick up speed.

I breathed a sigh of relief once I saw our camp come into view, but it was shortlived. I'd been distracted by my destination up ahead that I'd missed the fallen tree and tumbled over it, hitting the soil with a thud. Pain shot through my ankle like a bullet, but despite the throbbing, I scrambled back to my feet just seconds before I would've been trampled by Luke and his pegasus. Leaves obscured my vision. Blindly tearing through the woods and to our clustered little clearing, I rammed smack dab into Thalia who had risen from her makeshift bed and had drawn a long, pointed hunting knife.

I caught her elbow just before she hit the ground and yanked her upright. With no time to explain, I shoved them ahead of me and with a quick "run", we were dashing who knows where as fast as humanly possible.

The landscape blurred by in a mash of color, green and brown. Leaves and branches clawed at us until our faces were scratched and bloodied. Dirt kicked up behind like a puffy cloud of filth. Obstacles appeared before us, a log, a large rock, and even a small stream, that forced us to make wild leaps over them. The wind blew in my ears, blocking out any and all noise except the strong thumps of my heart, pumping a mile a minute, straining itself with the physical exertion.

And suddenly we stopped and I, totally not expecting it, slammed into Nico's back, sending him toppling to the forest floor. He emitted a surprised _oomph!_, but didn't complain when he arose, brushing clumps of the moist dirt off his midnight black pants.

"Guys, what are you doing? We need to get going…like now." I said, unsure why we stood stationary and not running for our lives. But then I really took in the scene and movement caught my eye. Twisting around, I noticed that Luke's men clouded around in a wide circle, blockading us from all angles. I spun around, searching desperately for a chink in their armor, but came up short. Every weak link they had was protected by a burly guard that would definitely take two to take out.

We were trapped, enclosed between guard after guard, with nowhere for us to run. Had my friends and I only come so far to be captured in the end? It's not like we had any other options, but give up and die or put up a fight and take out as many guards as possible before we're overrun.

All seemed hopeless until Nico shot me a look, a look he only got when he's about to put one of his terrible plans into action. But for once, I wasn't about to immediately shut him down, I was willing to try whatever he'd had in mind as one last hurrah before the inevitable happens.

With a subtle nod, I gave him the okay and without a second of hesitation, Nico sprang forward, thrusting his Stygian iron sword in the earth.

"Rise, my friends. Fight in the name of Nico di Angelo, son of Hades." He chanted and not a moment later, the earth began to rumble, shaking tree branches and dirt and debris. Skeletal hands, stripped of their skin and muscle, clawed at the air. And all at once, they climbed out in an undead horde, some wore dented pieces of armor while others were bare, revealing their hollow skeletons. When they fully emerged, they stood tall, sizing up the enemy, which thankfully, they seemed to identify as Luke and his men. As a unit, they raised their weapons high over their heads and shouted:

"In the name of the son of Hades." They voices were lifeless and void of all emotion. And with that, they charged.

In a matter of seconds, the clearing erupted into chaos. Everywhere you looked there was a skeletal warrior and a guard locked into combat, vying for the win. Bodies littered the ground, some dead, some close to it. Crimson blood splattered the lush green grass turning it a horrid shade of red. Screams, moans, clashing swords, and moans from the injured rang in my ears as I watched in horrified amazement as the skeletal warriors ripped through the guards like they were made of paper. The skeleton men were viciously brutal as they sliced into the bodies of the guards without a hint of remorse. Some slice and diced them with their swords while others who had lost theirs, fought tooth and nail, biting and clawing. It was by far the most gruesome thing I'd ever seen and I'd no doubt have petrifying nightmares about it later.

Through the carnage, I managed to catch a glimpse of Luke and you wouldn't believe what I saw. That coward was running away, a look of sheer horror decorating his face. He had blood soaking through his gray t-shirt and long gashes on his arms and chest. His face was pale and painted with red, whether it was his own or someone else's. Luke all but threw himself around the black pegasus, who'd been smart enough to put itself far away from the skeletons. Catching my gaze through the chaos, Luke shot me a look filled with pure malice before taking off into the woods, leaving his men to be picked off one by one. Funny how when the odds aren't in his favor, Luke runs off like a scared little girl. All you have to do is throw him in a pink dress and he'd play the part perfectly.

I turned my attention back to the fighting only to realize that it was over. Not a single one of Luke's men stood standing. All of them laid in the dirt, dead as a doornail. Looking at my friends, I took notice that all of them wore similar expressions, a hint of relief mixed with an undeniable revulsion. A look I knew was mirror on my own face. We were all happy to be alive, but for what price? So many lives had been lost, innocent lives that just got mixed up with the wrong crowd, lives that didn't deserve this fate. A deep sorrow swept over me. Countless families will have to contacted and informed that their children will not be returning home. Even the ones without families will still have people deeply affected by their death, whether it be a sibling or a friend. Their deaths won't go unnoticed.

I tried to imagine myself in their place. What my own mother would think if she were told that I'd been killed, her reaction? She cry for sure and be completely and utterly heartbroken. And I knew the other families would, too. What I would do to help ease that pain? I wanted to do something for those families, to make the pain a little more bearable. And like I'd been struck by lightening, I came up with the perfect idea.

Thalia turned toward me after getting over her initial shock. "Let's go. We need to leave before that weasel Luke sends more." Her voice sounded oddly hollow, broken like this had shattered something inside of her.

"I want to bury them." I told her, my voice quiet and sorrowful. I wanted those families to know that their kids weren't left lying on the ground like they were trash and not worth our time, I wanted them to know that we may be many things, but we are not the ruthless monsters they believe us to be. Death is death no matter whose side your on. It still breaks you, chipping away pieces of your heart shard by shard. I didn't know these people, these demigods, these mortals, but that doesn't make it any easier and I wouldn't want it be. These feelings of remorse let me know I'm still human, let know that despite the killings and feud between us and mortals, that I still care, that my humanity is still intact.

"Okay." She replied, for once not protesting my ideas. Obviously, what had just went down had taken a toll on her, too. "Where do you think we should bury them, Nico?"

When he didn't respond, I swiveled my head toward Nico and found him lying face first in the dirt. Panic surged throughout my whole being like a lightening bolt. Dropping down on my knees, I flipped him over, inspecting his body for any signs of injury and thankfully, found none. The exertion from tapping into his powers must have taken a lot of energy out of him.

I looked to Apollo, who'd been writing more "I am so awesome" poems in an orange notebook throughout the entire battle, silently asking him if there was anything he could do for him, and he shook his head. Guess, we'll just have to have Nico rest up.

Throwing him over my shoulder, I walked to an enormous oak tree and propped him up against the trunk. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he nestled closer to the trunk.

Rising from my crouch on the ground, I walked back over to my friends and we got to work. It was a tiring process digging hole after hole with only half of a fallen tree branch that was conveniently flattened at the end as a shovel. It took several hours, but we managed to bury every single one. And it took us another hour or two to stop staring frozenly at the lumpy mounds of dirt placed over each grave, but eventually, we pried ourselves away. I had a strange feeling that our little memorial was missing something and it wasn't until we were ready to move on that I realized just what that was.

"Apollo, can I borrow that pen and a piece of notebook paper?" I asked.

He handed them over to me right away.

I turned to a clean page and scribbled away, trying to make my writing as neat as I was finished, I cut a small hole through one of the trees, took a thin twig, stabbed a hole through the paper, and stuck the twig through and into the hole, using what I had as a nail. The paper hung from my makeshift nail. It read:

_ To the family and friends of the deceased, _

_ I am truly and deeply sorry for you losses, but I want you all to know that they didn't die in vain. They may've been intent on locking away innocent demigods, such as myself, but in the end, we're all fighting for what we believe is right and how can that be blamed. It is not the fault of your sons and daughters, but the fault of Lord Kronos for striking fear in mortals that should only be directed at him. If not for his tirade, this death and destruction would have never occurred and one day, I do hope that we can once again unite and defeat this evil Titan Lord, avenging the deaths of those we love. And as for your children, may they all reach Elysium._

_ Sincerely, _

_ Percy Jackson_

Thalia and the others read over the note quietly to themselves before sending me a nod, letting me know that they approved. They grabbed our meager items and followed closely behind Apollo, who lead us through the brush to our destination, Camp Halfblood.

"Hey, wait, did anyone else notice that we lost Annabeth?" Nico asked out of the blue, swiveling his head from side to side as if looking for her.

"Yeah." I replied dryly, my throat tight with emotion.

"Shouldn't we go back for her?" He arched a brow, wondering why I wasn't searching frantically for her. Couldn't he see what was right in front of him? Annabeth disappeared into thin air and shortly after, we're ambushed by Luke and his men. Something's not right there. Obviously, she had sold us out, not like I'm surprised. She's a backstabbing bitch, I knew that, but it didn't make it hurt any less.

"Nope." I said shortly.

"Why not?"

"Don't you get it? She told Luke where we were. She must've regained consciousness before any of us woke and since someone fell asleep when it was his turn to take watch, she got away with it." I said, looking pointedly at Nico.

"Hey, I was tired, okay? Escaping from prison and summoning dead guys takes a lot out of a guy."

Rachel shot me a worried look. "Are you alright, Percy? I know how hard this must be for you."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Truth is, I was disappointed, not angry or sad, just disappointed. I'd hoped Annabeth would've- What am I thinking? That she would've had some epiphany, seen the error of her ways? Yeah, like that would happen.

Shaking my head of all thought, I focused on the matter at hand, getting to this camp. I spaced out as we walked and before I knew it, soil became pavement and trees became buildings, scurrying woodland creatures became people. We'd arrived in a crowded city with obviously, a very high populous. Everywhere you looked there were people. People walking, people talking on the phone, hailing a cab, shopping. I couldn't turn my head with making eye contact with another human being. It was overwhelming. After being trapped in a quant prison with limited human contact, I was fidgety and felt cramped and almost claustrophobic with so many people milling around.

"We're almost there." Apollo said, breaking the silence. "My car is just a few blocks away." _Car? _But I didn't have any time to ask because he was on the move, brushing passed people, striding down the winding roads with a purpose.

We passed shop after shop, all clustered together, and a large park off to my right that strangely reminded me of Central Park back home. The whole place managed to remind me of home, from the honking of horns to the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, and I realized I had a terrible case of homesickness. I missed my mom, my simple life back in New York. Things were easier then, instead of being on the run, all I'd had to do was remain under the radar, not draw attention to myself, not make friends-well, mortal friends that is-, not do anything that could blow my cover. Now, I was a deer caught in the crosshairs of a gun, seconds away from an inevitable demise that sent shivers down my spine. One mistake could send the bullet rocketing toward my head.

I was shaken from my thoughts when Apollo sudden shouted:

"Here it is. Isn't she beautiful?" That statement contradicted itself. The car that stood before me was anything but beautiful. It was a rickety old thing that I doubted would even start. The paint was a hideous shade of green similar to what it would look like if someone just barfed all over it. Rust coated the entire exteriour of the car from bumper to windows were cracked and shards of glass were missing from the windshield. Personally, I'd thought Apollo had pretty good taste when it came to material items like the fancy white sunglasses placed over his eyes, but this car definitely contradicted that starement.

He noted my look of disbelief and scowled, rolling his eyes. "This isn't what it really looks like. It's disguised. I figured it wouldn't gain so much attention this way. Do you seriously think that my level of style is this low?" He muttered something incoherent under his breath and in a flash, a flashy red convertible took the dreadful pile of junk's place.

"Nice." I said, nodding my approval. We climbed into the sleek, leather seats and buckled up. Apollos jammed the keys into the ignition and drove to a secluded spot in an empty parking lot for an abandoned convenience store, light posts the only thing illuminating the asphalt.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Thalia asked, crossing her arms over her chest, her electric blue eyes flashing with a hint of anger.

"Of course not. We very well can't take off with so many bystanders who could witness it."

"Witness what?" Rachel asked, her voice filling with a spark of worry and doubt in the god of poetry.

"You'll see." Apollo responded with a wink.

He pounded a strange button his glowing orange dashboard and suddenly, the car burned into a blazing orange ball of fire, burning as bright as the sun. The light was so intense I was forced to squeeze my eyes shut to avoid blindness.

"Welcome to the Apollo Express. Please remain seated and keep your hands, feet, and other miscellaneous body parts in the vehicle at all times, unless you when them burnt to a crisp. Enjoy your ride." And with that we were off.

The car picked up a remarkable amount of speed, using the parking lot as a runway. The momentum took us high into the air and suddenly, the once black sky, darkened by night, erupted in an orange inferno. Darkness receeded and the light took its place, changing night to day. It was truly amazing….until I looked down. The enlarged city now appeared small like a village for ants and not hundreds of millions of people. Nausea swept through and my hands clammed up, my stomach flipped. Beads of sweats poured down my face as I strained my muscles, clamping my shaking hands on the closest thing to me, which just so happened to be Rachel's hand.

She looked down and blushed before a look of concern decorated her face as she took in my panicked expression.

"Percy, is everything okay? You look really pale." Her eyebrows knit together as she studied my face.

"I-I'm….I don't like heights. They make me nervous because of the whole Poseidon and Zeus rivalry thing." Nervous butterflies fluttered angrily in my gut, worry built up to an almost unbearable level. _Would if Zeus sees me in his domain and knocks me right out of the sky? Would if I die? Would if I never get to see mother again? _But then, a sense of relief comforted my whole being as I reminded myself that he wouldn't do that with his daughter in the car. Well, unless she did something that _seriously _pissed him off. My nerves settled and I no longer on the verge of a panic attack. Yay. With an odd sense of calmness slowly washing over me, I managed to fall into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Percy. Percy, wake up." Someone was shaking my shoulder, rousing me from my sleep. I opened my eyes and was immediately met with bright green eyes, red hair, and freckles, lots of them. Rachel.

"Hey." I said, rubbing sleep from my eyes with the heel of my hand. "How long was I out?"

"Couple hours."

"Where's Nico, Thalia, and Grover?" I asked, surveying the car and taking notice that they weren't inside it.

"They're settling in. We've arrived at Camp Halfblood. We were going to wake you to meet the camp leader, Chiron, but we figured you needed the sleep."

Before I could respond, she opened her mouth and added:

"Come on. You've got to see it, it's beautiful. You're going to love the lake." _Lake? That's exactly what I need right now._

She led me out of the car and through a wide clearing filled with cabins, a strawberry field, stables, an open-air pavilion, and a large, blue house. Like the city we'd went through, people were everywhere you looked except these people radiated power. Most of them were teenagers, some college age, and all of them wore orange t-shirts just like Grover's. Weapons of different varieties either hung from sheaths at their waists or were clutched in their hands. _Demigods. No way. I've never seen so many in one place before; there has to been at least a thousand._

Rachel urged me on until we reached the steps of the big, blue house. Two people stood on the porch, engaged in conversation, looking at each other like long lost friends rejoicing at their reunion. I stopped dead in my tracks. One was a half man, half horse, a centaur. But he wasn't the one who shocked me to the core. A tall, thin girl stood beside him, long, curly blond hair hanging down her back. _What the hell is she doing here?_

The centaur turned and noticed my prescence. He sent me a small smile before saying:

"You must be Percy. It's a pleasure to meet you, dear boy. I am Chiron and this," He said, gesturing to Camp Halfblood as a whole, "is my camp." I wanted to speak to him about the camp, ask questions about how this place is undiscovered by Kronos and his men and the mortals. I had so many question bursting to come out, but when I opened my mouth, the only thing that came out was:

"What the hell are you doing here?" I sneered at Annabeth before turning to Chiron. "She's a traitor. She's working for Kronos."

Chiron laughed, a deep, rumbling chuckle. "No, she isn't, Percy."

"Yes, she is. I don't know what she told you, but it's a lie. You have to believe me."

"Come with me and I'll explain everything." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and ushered me into the blue house, telling me to take a seat on a comfortable looking couch in the corner of a small room. Annabeth sat in the couch opposite me. He handed me a glass cup filled with a steamy, sweet smelling tea before beginning:

"Many years ago, a girl had run away from home and stumbled upon our camp. I'd known the cute, little seven year old was a halfblood almost immediately. She'd had nowhere to go, her family didn't want her, thought she was too dangerous to be kept, and I'd taken her in, letting her stay her at this very camp. Through the years, we've grown very close and I feel as if she were my own daughter. I could trust her with anything, any doubt or worry I'd had about almost anything I shared with her, no matter how bleak it seemed. Not once did she utter a peep to anyone else. I trusted her, I do trust her, even with my own life. That girl, Percy, was Annabeth. She lived here, made it her home, hardly ever left. Well, until she met you, that is. One day, she left for some unknown reason and returned hours later, practically bouncing with excitement that she'd made a friend named Percy. Everyday, she'd disappear for hours, going to visit you. You were her best friend; you both were extremely close. And as the years went by, you went from her friend to her best friend to her boyfriend. Then, the mist vanished and chaos broke out. Annabeth grew very worried for your safety and would do anything for you so she accepted a little proposition I'd thrown out there for her. But she didn't just accept for you, she also accepted because we needed someone on the inside, someone who could learn the secrets of the mortals and demigods running the prison and very well, use them to our advantage. As I said, she accepted and became a guard for the prison, keeping up the persona that she was loyal only to Kronos, while reporting everything she learned back to me. The others believed her, but eventually, her loyalties were questioned when they noticed how she disappeared for long hours at a time and no one knew where she was. So to prove her loyalty, they gave her an assignment, capture and bring a demigod into the prison. And unfortunately, that demigod was you. Once you were inside, she'd planned on getting you out, but she didn't know how. And she figured you were so upset with her that you wouldn't want to talk anyway. But then, you asked for you help and jumped at the opportunity to assist your escape. And well, you know the rest. She'd never meant to hurt you, Percy."

Multiple conflicting emotions filled me, but the one that ruled me was fury.

"NEVER MEANT TO HURT ME?!" I shouted, my voice full of anger and disbelief. "She knew what she was doing was going to hurt me, but did it anyway. She didn't even tell me about the plan when she could've and avoided this whole thing." I faced Annabeth, turning my tongue lashing on her. "How could you do that to me? You let me believe that I didn't mean anything to you, you let me believe that our relationship was a lie, you let me believe that you didn't love me at all. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? "

"Percy, I wanted to tell you, I really did, but I figured you'd try to talk me out of it and we couldn't afford that. I'm so sorry. For everything. And I hope you can forgive me."

"Not a chance."

"Percy." She said my name so gently it sent shivers down my spine. She held out her hand, reaching for me, but I jerked back, out of her reach.

"Don't touch me. Don't talk to me. Don't even come near." I twisted around and sprinted out of the blue house and into the closest cabin I could find, hoping Annabeth wouldn't come after me. And if she did, she wouldn't look in here.

The cabin was larger inside than it looked from the outside. Probably twice the size of my bedroom back home. The walls were colored a beautiful blue almost exactly like the color of water. A bed was pushed against the wall and a shiny marble fountain sat opposite it in the far corner of the room. A dresser was against the wall beside the fountain and to my surprise, it was filled with clothes. Orange t-shirts with the name Camp Halfblood etched in the material in black ink. Dark jeans. Pajama pants. You name it, it's in there. In the center of the room, a deep blue rug hugged the floor, a gold trident in the middle. That's when it occurred to me that this was the cabin dedicated to Poseidon's children. If I were to stay here, this would be my cabin.

I ran my hand along the dresser top, swiping the mounds of dust off. Leaning my head against the strong, plaster wall beside the dresser, I thought about all that had happened in just a few short hourse.

I wake up. Annabeth's gone. Luke ambushes us. Nico summons the skeleton men. The death of all those people. Apollo takes us here. Annabeth returns. I find out that Annabeth hadn't done that to hurt me, but to prove her "loyalty" to the Titan Lord so she could gather secrets and report them to Chiron. It's all so overwhelming, swimming through my brain like it's in its own personal swimming pool. I try to clear my mind of all the events of today and I almost succeed, but my mind latches onto another event that occurred.

The letter I wrote to the families. Of all of those who'd never see another day. And it was all because of Kronos. I wished that there was something I could do, something that could inspire people to rise up, fight the evil that's engulfing the world. But how could I, only one person, do something as grand as that? I wouldn't even know where to start, how to start. I can't start something like that.

But I already had. I just didn't know it yet.

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**That's chapter 5. Really hope you like. Leave a review down at the bottom letting me know what you think. **

**Review!**

**~TwistedTrident~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, guys. I'm sorry that this update is kind of late. I've been extremely busy lately, but I've found some time throughout the day to write so chapters should be a bit more frequent. Yay!**

**Also, thank you all for the reviews, favs, follows, and for just reading the story. :)**

**Here's chapter 6**

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**Chapter 6**

The camp was beautiful, absolutely breathtaking. Never in my life had I seen a place as extravagant as Camp Halfblood. Everything was perfect from the big, blue house-I'd later been told it was called the Big House, which I found fitting- to the succulent strawberry fields with strawberries so sweet and juicy, you can't help devouring them. It almost seemed too perfect. Like a dream, a soothing dream that I'd soon wake from only to return back to my living nightmare.

I pushed those thoughts away, not wanting to think of going back outside the camp's barrier, to not only having to fend for myself, but for four other people. To clear my head, I submerged into the clear lake water. Ever since the truth had come out about Annabeth, I'd ventured out to the lake to clear my head. The water always seemed to have a magic quality to it, taking my mind on a vacation far away from my problems. I knew I couldn't hide from them forever, but at the moment, I just couldn't deal with them. Pushing my troubles away, I let the cool water wash over my skin, refreshing my aching body.

One of my favorite things to do when I come to the lake is play with all the little fish swimming around my feet. I love to go under water and playfully chase them around like we're long lost friends enjoying a game of tag. They always greet me when I come by and every time they welcome me with open arms…er…fins. And as crazy as it sounds, they hold great conversation. The fish could be trying to encourage me to get munched on by a monster and I'd be so entranced by their interest in the topic that I wouldn't even realize what they were asking of me. They were just such interesting fish, but they were terrible gossips, discussions ranging from Poseidon's other son's new hairstyle to what Amphitrite was wearing. If I weren't looking at them, I'd think it was a bunch of girls from the Aphrodite cabin talking. But they were my only company, considering how I refused to talk to anyone except Grover who turned out be an awesome friend.

He seemed to understand my frustration towards Annabeth and my worries about losing someone important to me at the hands of Kronos. He was an avid listener, silent when need be, only adding comments when he deemed necessary. Never did he interrupt or somehow switch the conversation over to himself. It was him I enjoyed talking with the most. Granted, Nico was on my top ten talked to list, but as of recently, he's been spending the majority of his time with Travis and Connor Stoll from the Hermes cabin. No matter how much I wished he'd hang out with me for a change, I was happy for him. He finally had an actually friend excluding Thalia, Rachel, and myself. He'd met the Stolls on normal circumstances, not over some silly alliance that blossomed into a friendship.

I sighed as the conch horn blew, signaling dinner was beginning. Standing from my seat position on the lake's floor, I strode through the waves to the shore where my clothes were strewn haphazardly on the silky soft sand. I pulled my orange camp shirt over my head and shook my wet hair back and forth like a wet dog. Off to my right, the snapping of a twig caught my attention and jerked my head toward the noise, but my eyes found nothing. In an instant, I knew exactly who it was standing there. Before I had a chance to avoid her, she yanked off her Yankee's cap and materialized in front of me, blocking the way to my cabin.

"Percy, we need to talk."

I shook my head.

"Yes, we do."

"What's there to talk about?" I asked, trying to evade this unwanted conversation.

"Why have you been avoiding me? When are you going to get over this?"

"I need time, Annabeth, to process everything."

"It's been three days."

I shrugged, attempting to sidestep past her, but she mirrored my actions, once again blocking my path.

"If I knew you would act like this, I never would have agreed to Chiron's request. I would have let someone else take my place. You probably don't think so, but I'm still me, I'm still Annabeth. Remember? Your best friend since like forever, your girlfriend."

"I know. It's just this whole thing is overwhelming. Do you understand? Only a few weeks ago, I was in that hellhole of a prison, thinking about how you'd been the person to put me there. It made me feel like you didn't care enough and that really hurt."

_ "_I really am sorry, Percy. I never meant to hurt you and if I'd have known that it would, then I would've said something, made Chiron choose someone else to go. But he trusted me to be the spy and I accept not only for you and me, but also to help all demigods. This can be the breakthrough we need to get rid of Lotus for good. No more cells, no more guards, no more Kronos. Can you imagine how much weight will be lifted off our shoulders once all that is behind us?" She gushed, wrapping her slender fingers around my wrists, her eyes filled with excitement for what the future could hold. "Everything will be as it should be, how it was before any of this happened. Isn't that what you want? To have everything go back to normal?"

She had a point. With Annabeth's new found knowledge of the facility, we stand a better chance at finding the chinks in its armor, the weak link that could cause the entire prison to crumble and Kronos's plans to obliterate. And how can I blame Annabeth for accepting the job; she'd be the best candidate for it. She's intelligent, clever, and can formulate a plan in record time. And she has some wicked skills with a knife. Anyone comes too close, they'll get skewered. Hell, no one in this entire camp would've been a better choice than Annabeth. She'd managed to fool not only me, but also an entire army who truly believed she was on their side. That girl really is remarkable.

"Of course, that's what I want. It's what I want more than anything, but I just wished you would have told me. If something went wrong, I could've been there to protect you. I could've helped you out, been back up if things didn't go as planned. So why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you'd try to talk me out of it."

"Well, I probably would have tried at first, but once I saw how important this was to you, I would've been on board with it."

"Look, Percy, I'm sorry. I didn't like going behind your back, but this was something I just had to do, you know. And I really do hope that you can forgive me." She did look sorry, like she truly regretted it now that she knew I'd be so upset over it. The look I'd seen in Grover's eyes that night in the woods was now reflected in Annabeth's. It hurt me to see her so sad; it felt like tiny toothpicks were poking holes in my heart. That's when a thought struck me. Maybe I was overreacting, blowing this whole thing out of proportion. She did what she felt needed to do, what she felt was right, and again I thought of Biance di Angelo. She'd spent her last moments doing the right thing and how could I belittle such a sacrifice? I couldn't; it wasn't right. The same goes for Annabeth's case. In that moment, I decided to forgive her, grant her another chance. I mean, things won't be perfect. It will take time for things to return to how they were and even longer for me to be able to trust her again, but her intentions had been good.

"I forgive you." Her eyes widened, her mouth formed an "o". She seemed to be in absolute shock that I'd actually said those three, small words. Annabeth shook her head, wiping the expression off her face, before throwing her arms around me in a tight hug that brought butterflies to my stomach.

I'd forgotten what it's like to hug Annabeth, forgotten the feeling in my gut, forgotten the rapid thumping of my heart when her arms encircle me. I hadn't realized it in the months we'd been apart, but I really missed her hugs, her hair, her eyes, everything about her. Even the zesty fragrance from her lemon-scented shampoo that always wafted up my nose whenever she was near.

A few moments later, she loosened her death grip around my waist and stepped out of my arms. Annabeth opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the horn sounding in the distance, signaling it was time for dinner.

"Hungry?" Annabeth asked.

My stomach rumbled, answering her question before I even opened my mouth.

She giggled before grabbing my arm and leading me toward the pavilion.

We'd arrived a few short minutes later and were forced to split up as we were from different godly parents. Apparently, the camp has a strict rule that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all campers are to sit at the table representing their godly parent along with their half-brothers and sisters. So I had to sit at the Poseidon table by myself while Annabeth chatted animatedly with her cabin mates.

I looked around the pavilion and caught sight of Thalia and Nico who were also sitting at their tables by themselves. Feeling a sense of empathy for them, I waved them over to sit at my table. At least then we wouldn't look like loners sitting all by ourselves.

As Thalia and Nico picked up their trays and stood up, about to walk over, Dionysus, the wine god, or Mr. D ,who I found out also helped run the camp as punishment for being caught pursuing an off-limits nymph, shot me a stern look. Taking notice of the exchange, Nico and Thalia both plopped themselves back into their seats, clearly as unhappy with eating by themselves as I was.

The duration of dinner was uneventful. It was spent absentmindedly chewing my food, zoning out in thought. Most of those thoughts consisted of me bashing Mr.D's head in a door, which admittedly, brought a smile to my face.

Once dinner ended, we were to throw on our armor and report to the woods for the weekly game of Capture the Flag, a game centered around two teams, red and blue, fighting for the other's flag. It sounded like a lot of fun so I hurriedly tossed on my armor and met up at the woods a bit earlier than Chiron had said to be there. But I wasn't the first one there; many other campers had arrived early, their excitement urging them to get here as soon as possible as mine was.

When all those who wished to participate were present, Chiron arranged the teams, dividing up the campers equally. I was placed on the blue team with Thalia while Nico and Annabeth were on red. Chiron then gave us a few minutes to get acquainted with our teams, allowing us time to form a strategy and decide who gets to do what.

My team included Travis and Connor Stoll from the Hermes cabin, Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin, Katie Gardener from the Demeter cabin, Will Solace from the Apollo cabin, Thalia, and a few others whose names I didn't know.

Annabeth's team, on the other hand, was loaded with burly campers who I immediately recognized to be the sons and daughters of Ares. Clarisse, the head of the Ares cabin and by far the meanest person I know, shot me a smug smile when she noticed me taking stock of our competition.

The blue team moved further away from the red so we could formulate a strategy without unwanted ears eavesdropping, gaining the advantage. Although, if they did overhear, I doubt it would do them much good considering that our plan was by far the worst I'd ever heard. Annabeth would no doubt create an elaborate tactic that'll be a sure fire win while we basically just wing it. All we were able to come up with was that Thalia and I would go for the flag while the others would protect our blind sides. Beckendorf and Connor Stoll will be guarding the flag while we make our mad dash to the opposing flag. In my opinion, this is the worst idea I've ever heard. Too many things could go wrong, but since I didn't have anything better, I didn't object.

We headed toward our side of the creek and hid the flag behind some brush, half hidden, half still visible. Beckendorf crouched down in a thicket of trees, obscuring him from view, while Connor scaled a tree, laying down flat on the branch, the leaves camouflaging him from sight. This way it appears that no one is protecting the flag; therefore, letting our opponents guard down when going to retrieve it, but before they'll be able to get it, Connor and Beckendorf will jump out and double team them. Simple, yet not fool proof.

I readied myself, preparing for the stealthy sprint that could leave us shouting triumphantly or drowning in defeat. Thalia was flanked on my left, her shield, Aegis, gripped in her hand. I have no idea how she plans to run with that heavy, bronze shield. It's hard enough running without stabbing yourself in the leg with your sword, let alone lugging around a huge metal contraption. But I didn't question it for two reasons: A) she'd probably beat me with Aegis until I minded my own business and B) I trusted Thalia and her decisions. If she believed running a dead sprint with a shiny shield will benefit us, who was I to doubt her?

The moment Chiron blew the horn, signaling the beginning of the game, our feet took off, kicking up clouds of dust. The wind whipped in my ears, silencing all other noise except the rapid beating of my heart as it pumped blood throughout my body. The world blurred past us and before I knew it, we'd already reached the creek, the line that separates our territory and theirs. We leapt over it without a moments hesitation and kicked in an extra burst of speed. I'd never run so fast before except maybe when we'd been running for our lives when Luke attacked us in the clearing.

It seemed odd that we hadn't run into anyone yet, but just as the thought struck me, a sharp battle cry sound to my right followed by thumping footsteps slapping the earth. Looking off to my right, I found an Ares camper whose name I didn't know barreling toward me, sword raised and ready to strike. When he was within an arm's length away, he swung, but I rolled beneath his outstretched arm just before I had my head cut off. I withdrew Riptide and met his next blow halfway, sparks flying off the connected blades.

Thalia, having noticed the fight raging between us, stopped and drew a shiny, bronze dagger I hadn't know she'd been carrying, preparing to jump into the brawl herself.

"No, Thals. I've got this; you go for the flag." I yelled to her, not taking my eyes off my opponent.

Thalia nodded before taking off in the direction she'd been heading.

The son of Ares swung again, narrowly missing my chest, slicing a thin slash into my brand new, camp t-shirt. I raised my sword, slashing and swinging like a whirlwind, but my adversary deflected and parried them all. We exchanged blows and jabs left and right, but not a single one met its mark. He was extremely good in battle as was expected of a son of Ares and I was out of practice, a bit rusty, after having not swung a sword for five long months. But I didn't let that stop me. I feigned a strike to his right flank and he directed his sword to block, but a moment before our swords collided, I drew back, delivering a sharp kick to his chest.

He stumbled backward, struggling to gain his balance, and righted himself, looking unbelievably peeved at my newfound advantage. Letting out an enraged cry, he charged me and thrust the sword at my gut. I would've been a Percy-kabob if I hadn't used the disarming maneuver I'd learned so many years ago. With a twist of my wrist, his sword went flipping through the air, out of his grasp, and landed a few feet away, skittering through the ground. A trail of dust left in its wake.

My opponent stiffened, eyes darting from me to the sword, and in an instant, I knew what he planned to do. But before I could stop him, he dove for the blade. Clasping his hand around the hilt, he rolled over on his back so quickly I'd have gotten whiplash if that were me and swung the sword at my legs. Taken by surprise, I didn't have any time to deflect the jab and as the razor sharp point lacerated my calves, pain exploded in my legs and I was swept off my feet. My head and back slammed into the ground, my skull rattling around in my head from the impact. Stars appeared in my vision and along with them, little black spots that I knew would expand into a sea of blackness, dark as night.

"No maiming." I said, reminding him of Chiron's rule, which he seemed to have forgotten, as unconsciousness slowly began to settle over me.

"What that old man doesn't know won't hurt him." He replied, standing over me threateningly, his eyes hard. "Besides, where's the fun if you have no scars to show for it? Hmm?"

He slammed his fist into my face, emitting a sickening crunch, which could only be my nose breaking. Blood spurted from my now broken nose and only decreased my odds of remaining conscious. The black dots became more intense, nearly consuming my vision. _No, not now. Not now. _I thought, fighting off the darkness slowly devouring me.

Once unconsciousness all but won out, a thought struck me. _The lake. _The water would no doubt replenish my strength and restore my health. If only I could get to the lake, I could end this once and for all. There's no way I could beat him in my state. The guy was a rock with tree trunks for arms. But how was I going to get there? The moment I tried to stand, he'd smash my head with his monstrous muscles. _I could summon it. _It was a long shot; with my energy so depleted, it'd be a miracle if I could move a rain drop.

Closing my eyes, I cleared my mind of anything not involving waves and water. I pictured the little creek a few feet away churning into a tsunami-like wave and crashing into Ares's son full force. A tug in my gut grew until it was tight as a wire and I let it snap, the waves rushing him and washing over me.

As I suspected, the water healed me, but did nothing for my opponent. He was completely submerged and struggling to break the surface, choking and gasping for breath. His arms flailed wildly in an attempt to propel him upward. Feeling he had enough, I withdrew the waves and watched as he inhaled oxygen like a man starved of it. And I guess he had been. He choked and wheezed as he gulped in air, but when he satisfied his starving organs, he set me up with a look of pure fury.

"Relax, man. It's just a game. I think you're taking this whole camp thing way too seriously." I told him, trying to calm him down, but only making him twice as angered.

In a flash, he launched himself off the ground and wrapping his hands around my neck, lifted me off the ground. He pressed his thumbs into my windpipe, cutting off my air supply just as I'd done to him.

"This isn't about some damn game at a summer camp. It's much, much more than that. You honestly don't think that I'd want to participate in a petty game for wannabe heroes, do you?" He sneered, teeth gritted and clipping away at each word. "I don't think my master would like that very much."

I opened my mouth to ask, but words wouldn't come out. Noticing my struggle, the Ares guy loosened his grip just enough for me to speak.

"Master?" I managed to choke out.

He chuckled. "Lord Kronos, of course. Oh, don't look so surprised. Your little girlfriend isn't the only spy around here. But the only difference between her and I is that we play for separate teams. You see, I came here about a month before you, awaiting you arrival." He explained, pausing for me to ask my question.

"How did you know I'd even be here?"

"It was foretold by the oracle….or at least someone like her."

"What do you mean?"

"The real oracle of Delphi is under lock and key in the attic of the Big House. After several failed attempts at stealing it, I figured it'd be easier to use your friend, especially because she can't control when the visions occur so it's not like she could hide them from us." _Rachel. _They'd used Rachel and her ability against us, all of us. "The girl totally zonks out when it happens so she probably doesn't even know that we know."

"So…what? You're here to kill me? Get in line." I rolled my eyes at just how many times I'd almost been killed in the span of a week.

"No. Unfortunately, someone already got dibs on that." I mentally smiled at the thought of a bunch of demigods and mortals gathered together, arguing over who gets the honor of sending me to Hades. "I'm here to make sure you can't pull anything when my boss comes to have a word with you."

He pulled out a vile filled with cobalt blue liquid and dumped it over a knife no bigger than a cell phone. Once every inch of it was soaked, he thrust it deep into my stomach and the most excruciating pain I'd felt in my entire life surged through me. It felt like fire was searing through every part of me and my organs were ripping themselves apart from the inside. Never had being stabbed been this painful and I should know. I'd been stabbed plenty of times.

"W-W-What did you do to me?" I stuttered, the sheer pain consuming my every thought and oozing off every word.

"Don't worry. It won't kill you, hurts like a bitch, but won't kill you. That's not its purpose."

Before I could respond, a thought struck me. Why hadn't anyone come to help me? Couldn't they see there was clearly something wrong here? Or are they so caught up in the game that they hadn't noticed my predicament?

My opponent opened his mouth to answer the question reflected on my features, but was cut off by another voice, gruff and filled with malice, a voice I'd know anywhere. Shivers ran over me as I twisted around, the pain increasing by the action, and saw Luke, staring smugly at the helpless heap that had become my body.

"Percy, good to see you again." He said, crouching down so he hovered over me. I cringed at his proximity, shying away from him no matter how much my body protested the sudden movement. "Ah, don't be alarmed; I mean you no harm….for now. I only wish to provide you with some advice, a forewarning if you will. Look around, Percy, and tell me what you see."

Doing as he said, I turned me head to the side and if it didn't hurt so much to move, my jaw would have dropped. No wonder no one came to help me; they were all frozen, every last one of them. Not a single one made even the slightest movement and gave no indication that they were even breathing. It seemed like time had frozen in place everywhere except around Luke, creepy traitor Ares guy, and myself. My eyes focused on a particular camper further away from me. She was locked in battle with Travis Stoll, arm poised and ready to strike. Her hair whipped around her head, frozen midair in a mane of blond hair. I'd seen Annabeth fight plenty of times, but not one of them had I noticed just how graceful she looked while she did it. Her nimble feet frozen one foot in front of the other and if she hadn't been holding a dangerous weapon, she'd have looked like a dancer.

Luke's next words threw me back into reality.

"We have more allies than you even know. And you have no idea how easy it was for them to do this to your friends. Imagine if this were a war, Percy, and this is the battle field. Do you have any idea how easy it would be for me to take the lives of every one of these campers? They wouldn't stand a chance, wouldn't be able to defend themselves. It would be a massacre, Percy. All of your friends dead, families without their children, demigods of all ages enslaved in the very prison you escaped from. Is that what you want? Because that's what's going to happen if you fail to bring Hades's Helm of Darkness to me at sundown in three days. Once the helm is retrieved, you'll drop it off at this address." He pulled out a filthy, yellow sticky note and slid into the pocket of my jeans. "Do you understand? Good." He said, not even waiting for me to respond.

Luke waved the Ares kid over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Good work, Marcus. You've done well." He told the burly boy, smiling proudly at him, before shouting his parting words to me. "See you around, Percy, and don't forget my helm. Oh, and one more thing. I heard how much you love surprises so I took the liberty to give you a little adrenaline rush." And with a poof of golden smoke, he was gone.

Swords clashing caught my attention, but I was unable to see through the suffocating smoke that clouded my eyes and scorched my throat. Pushing the bothersome smoke away, I saw that my friends and the others had been unfrozen, which was a relief. But before I could celebrate, more movement off to my left caught my eye. Turning my head in the general direction, my heart jumped into my throat, my heart rate spiking. When Luke had said an adrenaline rush, he hadn't been kidding. There, standing before me, were not one, not two, but three Laistrygonian giants standing in the very place Luke had been not a moment ago.

And to make matters worse, they were headed this way.

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**Dun. Dun. Duh. Poor Percy; he never gets a break. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter!**

**Also, I've been debating if I should have other pairings in the story besides Percabeth so I thought I'd ask you all. Do you want Thalico to be together? Do you want them to be with other people or with no one at all? It's up to you guys. Let me know in a review along with your thoughts on the chapter. How about we try to get the review count up to 30 this time around. :)**

**Thanks,**

**~TwistedTrident~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

My heart leapt into my throat as I watched those monstrous creatures rush forward, clubs raised high, shrieking battle cries still lingering on their lips. These tattooed psychos were anything but pretty with their pointed teeth, permanent snarls, and nose-burning odor. Their arms were toned and muscled, built for crunching and snapping their enemies until they're reduced to the lifeless form the giants strive for them to be. Baseball mitt hands that topped their enormous arms were completely inflammable, resistant to fire 100% of the time, which basically explains how they can throw blazing fireballs.

When the were within 30 feet of me, still rapidly approaching, I slapped myself out of my shell-shocked state and ran through the forest, desperate to warn the other campers who are all oblivious to the carnage about to occur.

Pushing past the last thicket of trees separating me from my friends, I sprung forward and slammed smack dab into Annabeth. I caught her arm just before she fell and pulled her upright, quickly explaining snippets of my encounter with Luke and the giants now heading straight for the camp.

"Are you feeling okay, Percy?" She reached up to feel my forehead for a temperature, but I pushed her hand away, having no time for her to play doctor. "Monsters can't get in here. Luke probably said that just to scare you."

"You don't understand, I saw them; they're headed this way."

"Maybe it was that golden dust distorting your vis-" She trailed off, eyes locking on a place over my shoulder. Her face went pale and she took on a defensive stance, hand grasping the hilt of her dagger. I took that as a sign that she believed me.

I pulled out Riptide and uncapped it, spinning around only to encounter a giant towering over me, a hungry smile on his face as he looked down at me. His arm reared back and before I could react, he swung full force. The club was inches from my head when I was tackled from behind, my face hitting the earth and eating dirt on impact. Riptide was flung out of my grasp, a clanging sound emitted from the sword as it slammed into a tree and landed at the base of the trunk several feet away.

Annabeth was sprawled on top of me from the force that no doubt just saved my life and my tombstone from reading _Death by giant._

The monster emitted an angry shriek and raised the club over its head, both hands clutching the hilt, and slammed it down to the ground. Rolling at the last second, it missed us by an inch and left a gaping hole in the earth where my head had just been a second before. The monster didn't appreciate my tactful roll the way I did and stomped its foot in rage, his big toe landing not even two inches from my ear.

Annabeth, sharp as a whip, retrieved her fallen dagger, having dropped it after yet again saving my life, and embedded the blade in the giant's foot. It couldn't have felt like anything worse than a splinter to the massive beast, but nonetheless, it cried out in pain as it bent over and yank out the knife, throwing it over it's shoulder and out of our reach.

"Get out of here. I'll take care of the giant; help the others." I shouted to Annabeth who I was positive would protest against this.

"No, you're going to get yourself killed."

"Just go."

"Trying to be heroic, aren't you Seaweed Brain?" She replied before lifting herself off the ground and looking in the other direction as sounds of fighting broke out, struggle obvious as screams and yells echoed throughout the forest. Obviously, the others weren't having much luck with the giants. Hesitation was written all over her face as her eyes darted back and forth between the other campers and I, but after giving her a nod, she took off toward the chaos, leaving me with the monster.

I leapt up off the ground and putting on a burst of speed, made a mad dash toward Riptide. The giant spun in my direction, swinging the club like a baseball bat. A gust of wind whipped past my head from the close proximity of the club that had just barely missed knocking my head off. The earth rumbled beneath me as the giant thundered toward me, bellowing angrily at its many failed attempts.

Scooping up the sword, I charged and slashed at it, a deep cut slitting through its calf.

The monster stumbled backwards and taking his weakness to my advantage, I swung again, catching him in the other leg, before thrusting the blade deep into his gut, the tip protruding from the opposite side of the giant. He teetered back and forth, stumbling around like a drunk, and listed sideways, slumping against a tree where he lay still.

Without a moments hesitation, I followed the clanging of swords and exasperated shouts to the battle raging on, two giants still remaining. Arriving to the battleground moments later, I was met with a sight that broke my heart.

The camp was in ruins. Cabins were reduced to splintered wood, the Big House was in flames from the fireballs blazing through the air, the dead and injured lay motionless on the ground, eyes desolate and glassy. The strawberries were squashed and staining the fields a horrifying shade of red that made me sick, resembling the blood of the fallen from the ambush with Luke.

How could the giants overpower us so quickly and cause as much damage as they did? They were outnumbered a hundred to one and yet, they still managed to wreak havoc among us and injure more than I thought possible. I wracked my brain for an answer and then, a realization struck me. The majority of the demigods here call this place home, lived here most of there lives, had hardly left the safety of the barrier. They hadn't known what to expect; of course, they trained, but it obviously hadn't been as intense as the real thing. You can train all your life to fight monsters, but you'll never be fully prepared to face one in the flesh, never.

I scanned the deceased littering the soft, dewy grass for any familiar faces, a deep sadness filling my heart as I caught sight of Connor Stoll bent over his brother, heart wrenching sobs erupting from the heartbroken boy as he clutched and begged Travis not to leave him. But despite his pleas, Travis lay motionless, his chest still, no steady rise and fall, nothing. He wasn't breathing and from the looks of it, he never would again.

Travis was painted in crimson blood, soaking through his shirt, staining it with red. The thick, sticky liquid spurted from a wound in his head that'd obviously resulted from a hard whack to the head from one of the giant's clubs. A pool of it clotted around him in a vile, red puddle that sickened my stomach and made me drop to my knees.

My heart shattered at the sight of him, remorse slipping through the cracks, and the sight of Connor as he lay down beside his brother in defeat, barrage after barrage of tears escaping his eyes and creating small streams down his cheeks.

Taking two fingers, I closed Travis's eyes. _Rest in Peace, Travis. _I backed away from the Stolls, preparing to give Connor the space he needs to be alone and mourn, but I had barely taken a step when my heel hit something behind me. I fell backwards and no doubt bruised my butt from the fall. Rubbing my aching backside, I turned my attention to the what I'd tripped over and realized with horror that it wasn't a what, but a who.

Icicles prickled and crystallized inside of me, shocking me into a frozen state. All thought evaporated from my mind until it was blank as a sheet. I couldn't hear, I couldn't feel, I couldn't breathe. I was numb, unable to tear my eyes away from the person lying before me, face peaceful despite the hideous mutilation done to them.

Annabeth was sprawled on the ground, multiple stab wounds wound deep in her tanned skin. Her orange, camp shirt was in tatters and her jeans had countless slashes through the thick fabric. The gray eyes I loved so much were lifeless and blackened, a dark ring outlining them. She was covered in thin cuts as if a shower of glass had rained down on her and her neck was bruised a deep purple, shaped into the form of hand prints, giving off the appearance she'd been strangled. She had been, but through further inspection, I discovered that that wasn't the cause of death.

A broken shaft of a spear peaked through her shirt, the tip still intact and embedded in her chest.

My heart seized, swelling until the breaking point with a piercing pain that left me clutching my chest in agony. The surge of emotion that had been numbed earlier rushed me in a deluge of rippling emotion that left me raw and broken. A revolting feeling took residence in my stomach as my next thought hit me.

_ This is all my fault. It's all my fault. _And it was. I was the one that urged her to go assist the others while I took care of the giant. I should've made her stay with me, I should've gotten here sooner, I should've-

A dark, gravelly voice rang through my head. I grasped my ears as it grated out each individual word, sounding like nails on a chalkboard.

_ You are correct, Perseus. This is your fault….or at least, it will be if you fail to obey. You will be assigned a series of tasks in which you will be required to obtain various items that will be of value to me. You have already received the first, Hades's Helm of Darkness, as you know. Once the items are retrieved, you will bring them to a carrier, a soldier of mine who's job is to pick up the item, at the address listed on the sticky note in your pocket. Or the scene before you, _I could imagine the Titan Lord gesturing out at the destruction and death that has become of this beloved camp, _will be as real as it appears. _And with that, Kronos's voice receded from my mind, leaving silence in its wake.

Just for good measure, the Titan Lord sent a flurry of horrifying slideshows before me, each showing different horrors that turned my blood to ice. I squeezed my eyes shut to block them out, but the attempt was futile; the images projected on my closed eye lids, forcing me to watch as the chaos unfolds. Death and destruction were included in every spine crawling picture. Innocent mortals were being slaughtered for information they didn't have, demigods lay motionless as the massacre around them rages on, Manhattan, my beautiful home, blazes bright as the sun as flames engulfed buildings and the surrounding land. One even showed my mother, tears in her eyes, as she was shoved off the top of a building and plummeted to her death at least 100 stories off the ground. Scenes of my friends enduring an excruciating demise was the last of the images before my eyes returned to normal.

When I opened them, my eyes met striking gray ones, familiar and filled with storm clouds….and worry. I sighed as it was confirmed that Kronos was being truthful when he'd said that what I'd seen hadn't been real….yet.

A sense of relief washed over Annabeth when she noticed my eyes were open and she gently helped me into a sitting position after she took in my obvious struggle to do so.

Behind Annabeth, stood my friends, crowded around me in a small circle. Their expressions were no different than Annabeth's had been, filled with concern that was slowly receding into calm relief. Nico's shoulders were tense as gave me a once-over, checking for injury and silently asking if I was okay.

I nodded in response despite that I was in fact not okay. But the exact opposite actually. I was so shaken up that my hands trembled and I couldn't even grab the nectar Thalia was handing me without spilling it.

After I'd spilled it on myself for the third time, Thalia took the glass from hands and poured it into my parted lips for me.

No one spoke, no one, not even Chiron who was standing just feet away. His face was grim and it appeared that he'd aged thirty years in just a few short hours. His kind, wise eyes were now filled with worry and a deep sadness that I couldn't quite understand. His shoulders were tense, his posture rigid, straight as a board. He eyed me as if it was the last time he'd ever see me, that something had happened when I'd been out, something that had obviously struck fear into the hearts of all the campers. But what, I didn't know.

Once the wonderful, godly medicine coursed through my veins, replenishing my diminished strength, Chiron, not uttering a word, gestured toward the Big House, a silent command to follow him. Without a glance behind him to see if we were coming, he strutted back toward the big, blue house at the front of the camp.

Confused, I looked to Annabeth for some sort of insight on this whole ordeal, but she didn't meet my eyes, her head directed far off in the distance, a faraway look in her eyes. She was lost in thought and obviously, not a very good one from the way her face contorted into a look of horror before she shook her head, clearing her mind.

I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it after Nico shot me a look that clearly said _Now's not the time._

Annabeth and Thalia helped me to my feet and lead me to the Big House, sticking close to my side like they expected me to collapse at any moment. The other campers followed suit and soon, every singe demigod that lives in the camp was following behind us, keeping enough distance away from me so I wouldn't feel crowded.

We arrived at the door to the Big House minutes later and the Head Counselors broke off from the rest of the group, entering the Big House and leaving the others to anxiously await the news to be told to them afterward. Only Annabeth and Thalia remained, constantly offering assistance despite my lack of needing it.

I didn't understand why they seemed so concerned for me, not that I was complaining. I was happy that they cared about me enough to stick by my side, but I couldn't wrap my mind around why. Why did they keep shooting each other worried glances when they thought I wasn't looking? Why did they constantly encourage me to lean on them for support? Why did they look at me as if I'm as fragile as glass? Why?

Once we were inside the Big House, Chiron motioned for me to sit down in the open seat closest to him. Annabeth and Thalia were on either side of me and Nico was seated across from me. With them close by, it lessened some of my unease and calmed my racing heart.

I was beyond confused; I didn't understand what was going on. What was happening. Why any of this was taking place. Did they think I lied about Luke being here and that I was in fact the one who'd summoned the giants? Do they think that I'm secretly working for Kronos, that I'd betrayed them?

Unable to sit a moment longer with this heavy silence, I blurted out the questions that had plagued my mind ever since I'd woken up.

"Chiron, what's going on? Why does everyone keep looking at me like that? Why is everyone so worried? Is it something I did? I-"

Chiron held up his hand, palm facing me, signaling me to stop. "Percy, you didn't do anything wrong. Something else has…..occurred that…er…complicates things."

"What? Tell me," I demanded once I noticed his hesitation to discuss the matter. "Tell me, _please."_

"Do you remember anything before you fell unconscious, Percy?"

"Umm," I racked my brain for the memories that should fill the blurred void of the forgotten occurrences in my mind. Coming up short, I closed my eyes and focused solely on the gap in my memory and finally, I found what I'd been searching for. "Luke came, we talked, then the giants came out of this poof of dust. I killed one and then ran toward the cabins where I heard the others struggling with the other two giants. But when I arrived, I saw the camp in flames and campers dead. It was an illusion. Kronos had spoken in my mind afterward and that's the last thing I remember." I explained, careful not to miss anything important.

"It is as I feared." Chiron sighed and kneaded the bridge of his nose.

"What is?" I asked, my heart spiking at all the horrible possibilities Chiron could be referring to.

He answered my question with one of his own. "Were you given a blue liquid of sorts, cobalt blue?"

"Yeah, one of Luke's thugs dumped a vial of it on his dagger and stabbed me with it. He claimed it wasn't deadly and that it would only hurt."

"Just as I suspected. Percy, what you were given is an ancient concoction that had been created long ago. Many eons ago, Aphrodite had fallen in love with another man before she'd gotten together with Ares. He'd been a mortal and hadn't known about our world. He was a hardworking man, very dedicated to his work. He didn't pay attention to hardly anything but his job, not even Aphrodite who'd tried numerous times to capture his attention. Each failed attempt only brought on more frustration for the goddess and as one final shot, she stepped up her game, flaunting herself and her talents as the Love goddess, but the man only grew tired of her. Calling security, they escorted her from his office. As you can imagine, the goddess was furious, angered that a mere mortal had denied the goddess of love and beauty. So out of spite, she struck a deal with Hestia, goddess of magic, creating the very liquid that you've now consumed. Its purpose is to form a bond between two people, an empathy link of sorts."

"How is that really spiting him?" I asked.

"Because he may not want her, but she'll always be there. In his mind. And that is the one place he can never escape her."

"What does this have to do with me? Are you saying I'm bound to Aphrodite and some old guy?" I really hoped that wasn't the case. The last thing I needed was the voice of that lunatic love goddess in my head, spouting romantic remarks left and right.

"Oh, I wish it were that easy." _Easy? _How much more difficult could it get?

"What do you mean?"

"Percy, I'm afraid to say that the being you are bound to is far worse than Aphrodite and infinitely more powerful. There is no easy way to put this, but" Chiron paused, exhaling a heavy sigh, before bringing my biggest fear to life. "Percy, you're bound to Kronos."

* * *

**Hey, guys. Please don't kill me. I know that it took me a long, long time to update and I'm really sorry. I've been extremely busy lately, primarily, with school. My English teacher made our class write a sixteen page paper over a book that's barely ten chapters so that took up a lot of my time. **

**Once again, I'm very sorry for the delay and the short length of this chapter.**

**~TwistedTrident~**


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